Guillermo del Toro has been pretty vocal on social media about his love of Toronto over the past few years. Having shot The Shape of Water and, most recently, Frankenstein, in and around Toronto, he's become something of a fixture in the city's downtown core. When he's in town for a project, you've got a better chance than not of seeing him scoping out new reads at bookstores like Vinegar Syndrome, Monkey's Paw or The Beguiling.
As part of what can only be an excuse to shop for more books at rock-bottom prices, thanks to the weak Canadian Dollar, del Toro will be hitting the city once again this summer. And this time, he's bringing the spooky with him. Well, the spooky other than his normal spooky.
…the Guadalajara-born director and longtime Toronto resident never shies away from his passion for the city and Canada at large.
Now, he's taking things to the big screen with a brand-new horror film festival running from July 9 to 13, entitled From Rabid to Skinamarink: Canadian Movie Madness, and it's all taking place at the TIFF Lightbox.
The showcase features a lineup of films by Canadian filmmakers handpicked by del Toro himself, including David Cronenberg's Rabid (1977), Vincenzo Natali's Cube (1997) and Kyle Edward Ball's directorial debut Skinamarink (2022).
Expect everything from creepy camp to downright bone-chilling as Guillermo del Toro explains and breaks down the tropes, tactics and thrills that make a great horror flick.
Being as I'm back in Canada for a while, this is a huge win… provided I can score tickets. I'll be marking June 13th on my calendar: It's the date they go on sale for the general public. Those with a Toronto International Film Festival membership can snag their tickets a few days earlier, on June 11th.
What's more, on July 8th, del Toro will be hosting a free outdoor screening of The Shape of Water at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre. It takes a lot to get me into T.O., but this outta do it.
