Guillermo del Toro: Saying ‘Art Is Not Important’ Is ‘Always the Prelude to Fascism’

While accepting the directing honor at Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch and Creative Impact Awards brunch during the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Guillermo del Toro told the up-and-coming filmmakers to never listen when “people tell you art is not important,” because that is “always a prelude to fascism.”

“Be kind, be involved, believe in your art,” he said. “At a time when people tell you art is not important, that is always the prelude to fascism. When they tell you it doesn’t matter, when they tell you a fucking app can do art you say, if it’s that important, why the fuck do they want it so bad? The answer is because they think they can debase everything that makes us a little better, a little more human. And that, in my book, and in my life, includes monsters.”

Along with del Toro, who received the Directing Award for his work on “Frankenstein,” other honorees included Dwayne Johnson, who received the Creative Impact in Acting Award for “The Smashing Machine,” and Teyana Taylor, who received the Creative Impact in Breakthrough Performance Award for “One Battle After Another.”

Elsewhere in his speech, del Toro spoke about the “religious experience” of watching James Whale’s 1931 “Frankenstein” for the first time. Sara Karloff, the daughter of the original “Frankenstein” star Boris Karloff, was his guest at the event.

“Sometimes the world gets so complicated, you can only explain it with the power of monsters,” he said. “We are in a time like that right now.”

He later added, “It’s not just the size of the screens, it’s the size of the idea. Ambition includes failure – it’s right next door to success. There are no numbers on the door. You’re going to knock on that door, and it’s going to open, and it’s either a supermodel of your dreams or your mom in curlers.”

“Frankenstein” was released on Netflix on Oct. 17, 2025. The film stars Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth.