Guillermo del Toro Set to Receive the Creative Impact in Directing Award from Variety at Palm Springs International Film Festival 2026

Variety will award Guillermo del Toro at this year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival with the Creative Impact in Directing Award. The honor will be given as part of Variety’s annual 10 Directors to Watch and Creative Impact Awards brunch on January 4. 

Del Toro’s extensive body of work earned him the accolade, most recently with “Frankenstein,” which has received five Golden Globe nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, and 11 Critics’ Choice nominations. Del Toro is nominated for Best Director by both the Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice. 

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“Frankenstein” premiered at the 82nd Annual Venice Film Festival this past August and was released globally on Netflix in early November. The film features Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz in an adaptation of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel by the same name. 

From his previous work, del Toro has received numerous awards and nominations, including Oscar wins for Best Picture and Best Director with “The Shape of Water,” Best Animated Feature Film with “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” and additional Academy Award nominations for “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Nightmare Alley.”

“It seems impossible that Guillermo Del Toro had anything left to prove after the heights of ‘Pan’s Labyrinth,’ ‘The Shape of Water’ and ‘Pinocchio.’ But with ‘Frankenstein,’ the movie he had been waiting his entire career to make, he reminds us that he’s not only one of Hollywood’s most exciting visionaries but a filmmaker for the ages,” said Ramin Setoodeh, co-president and co-editor-in-chief, Variety. “We look forward to saluting Guillermo in Palm Springs with Variety’s Directing Award.”

The Palm Springs International Film Festival runs from Jan. 2 to 12. Passes and tickets are currently on sale. For additional information, visit the festival’s website.