For decades, Guillermo del Toro has dazzled viewers with visionary dreamscapes and cinematic nightmares that linger long after the end credits have rolled, showing that movie magic can truly be captured on screen through hard work, creative collaborations, and an infectious passion for the craft of filmmaking.
With the release of his latest film, Frankenstein, lurking right around the corner, Beyond Fest and American Cinematheque have teamed up to celebrate Guillermo del Toro like never before with Está Vivo: The Gods and Monsters of Guillermo del Toro, a 12-feature retrospective celebration of Del Toro's eclectic filmography, from his early films Cronos and The Devil's Backbone to his more recent features The Shape of Water and Nightmare Alley: Vision in Darkness and Light!
Divided into four curated blocks with Guillermo del Toro himself in attendance to discuss his cinematic masterpieces, Está Vivo: The Gods and Monsters of Guillermo del Toro will take place from September 23rd–October 8th at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles (with special screenings of Pacific Rim and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio taking place at Los Feliz 3). We have the official press release with full details below, and to learn more about Beyond Fest, be sure to visit their website!
Press Release: LOS ANGELES, September 3, 2025 – Beyond Fest, the biggest and most highly attended genre film festival in the U.S., in partnership with the American Cinematheque, proudly announces a spectacular celebration of the great Guillermo del Toro. Está Vivo: The Gods and Monsters of Guillermo del Toro is the most complete retrospective of the filmmaker’s illustrious career and spans his revolutionary and electrifying debut, CRONOS 4K Restoration (Theatrical Premiere), through to his most recent descent into madness, NIGHTMARE ALLEY: VISION IN DARKNESS AND LIGHT.
“Guillermo del Toro’s films have inspired generations of filmmakers and audiences alike in a way unlike any other artist we’ve experienced,” said Evrim Ersoy, Head of Programming at Beyond Fest. “To welcome him and celebrate his artistic vision on this scale truly honors who he is as both a creative force of nature and a proudly obsessive servant of Cinema.”
Está Vivo comprises 12 features and brings audiences an unprecedented journey through the lyrical, political, and magical worlds of modern cinema’s most visionary storyteller. Guillermo del Toro will join for four specially curated blocks of programming in which the maestro will share his personal stories, dreams, and nightmares of his life behind the lens. In anticipation of his forthcoming film FRANKENSTEIN, releasing later this year, the series traces the themes of monsters, humanity, and imagination that have defined his cinema to date.
IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE:
CRIMSON PEAK, NIGHTMARE ALLEY: VISION IN DARKNESS AND LIGHT, THE SHAPE OF WATER
The celebration opens with In The Mood For Love, a triple bill exploring the emotional core of del Toro’s high wire balancing of beauty and bloodshed. Featuring the quintessential gothic horror, CRIMSON PEAK, Best Picture winner, THE SHAPE OF WATER, and del Toro’s personally supervised brand-new version of his 2022 odyssey, NIGHTMARE ALLEY: VISION IN DARKNESS AND LIGHT, In The Mood For Love depicts his singularity in marrying his fantastical sensibilities with his profound sense of humanity.FROM SKETCH TO SCREEN:
HELLBOY, HELLBOY 2: THE GOLDEN ARMY, BLADE II
From Sketch to Screen explores del Toro’s deep-rooted and passionate love of comic books with three of the most radical adaptations ever committed to screen: HELLBOY, HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, and BLADE II. These bold forays into comic book worlds and genre spectacle offer rare insights into del Toro’s wholly singular approach to superhero storytelling and modern cinema’s most dominant genre.THE EARLY YEARS:
CRONOS 4K RESTORATION, DEVIL'S BACKBONE 4K RESTORATION, MIMIC DIRECTOR’S CUT
Del Toro’s foundational works will be celebrated in The Early Years, featuring the theatrical premiere 4K restoration of his debut feature CRONOS, the L.A. premiere of the 4K restoration of THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE, and his first studio feature, MIMIC Director’s Cut. These formative films reveal the seeds of his wildly imaginative storytelling, his love of gothic fantasy, inventive use of practical effects, and human connection that became hallmarks of his revolutionary career.THE REVOLUTION:
PAN’S LABYRINTH
The retrospective culminates in a singular evening devoted to the internationally acclaimed masterpiece, PAN’S LABYRINTH. An experience unlike anything that had preceded it (or since), PAN’S LABYRINTH's rich symbolism, intricate production design, and emotionally resonant storytelling cemented del Toro’s status as both a visionary auteur and one of the most essential voices in contemporary Cinema.ESTÁ VIVO: THE GODS AND MONSTERS OF GUILLERMO DEL TORO
EGYPTIAN THEATRE
In The Mood For Love
CRIMSON PEAK
Special Screening
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Country: United States
Runtime: 119 mins
2015NIGHTMARE ALLEY - VISION IN DARKNESS AND LIGHT
Special Screening
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Country: United States / Mexico / Canada
Runtime: 159 mins
2021THE SHAPE OF WATER
Special Screening
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Country: United States
Runtime: 123 mins
Guests - Guillermo Del Toro - Post-Screening Q&A
2017From Sketch to Screen
HELLBOY
Special Screening – format: N/A
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Country: United States
Runtime: 122 mins
Guests: Guillermo Del Toro - Pre-Screening Q&A
2004HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
Special Screening
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Country: United States
Runtime: 120 mins
2008BLADE II
Special Screening
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Country: United States
Runtime: 117 mins
2002The Early Years
CRONOS – 4K Restoration, courtesy of Janus Films
Theatrical Premiere
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Country: Mexico
Runtime: 92 mins
1993THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE - 4K Restoration, courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
L.A. Premiere
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Country: Spain/Mexico
Runtime: 106 mins
2001MIMIC - Director’s Cut
Special Screening
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Country: United States
Runtime: 105 mins
Guests: Guillermo Del Toro - Post-Screening Q&A
1997The Revolution
PAN’S LABYRINTH
Special Screening
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Country: Spain/Mexico
Runtime: 120 mins
Guests: Guillermo Del Toro - Pre-Screening Q&A
2006LOS FELIZ 3
PACIFIC RIM
Special Screening
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Country: USA
Runtime: 131 mins
2013GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO
Special Screening
Director: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson
Country: USA/Mexico
Runtime: 117 mins
2022---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attend Beyond Fest:
Tickets will be on sale on the American Cinematheque website Thursday, September 4th at 12:00 pm PST. Visit beyondfest.com and americancinematheque.com for details.
For the latest developments, visit the Beyond Fest official site www.beyondfest.com and follow us on Instagram, Facebook & X.
Beyond Fest
Beyond Fest is the highest-attended genre film festival in the U.S. and exists to serve the film community of Los Angeles. Built in partnership with American Cinematheque, Beyond Fest is a not-for-profit entity that raises funds for the 501(c)(3) non-profit film institution, American Cinematheque. Its favorite film is JAWS.American Cinematheque
Established in 1984, the American Cinematheque is a member-supported 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural arts organization dedicated to building a diverse and engaged film community through immersive film curation, conversation, and presentation. The American Cinematheque believes film is a communal experience with the power to entertain, enlighten and inspire. Since it first began showing films in theatres in 1985, the American Cinematheque has provided diverse film programming, screenings and live in-person conversations and events with thousands of filmmakers and luminaries, presenting both new and repertory cinema to the city of Los Angeles. The AC showcases over 1,600 films a year; it connects the filmmaker to the audience and film history to its future. Presenting in 35mm, 70mm, rare nitrate, and state-of-the-art-digital.
[Photo Credit: Beyond Fest]
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.
When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.
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