Toronto/CMEDIA: The Key to the City reportedly was awarded today by the Toronto Mayor Olivia to the Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro.
“Guillermo del Toro is a once-in-a-generation storyteller, director and filmmaker…chosen to produce his award-winning movies in Toronto, supporting our city’s $2.6 billion film industry which employs more than 40,000 people…his films which have touched viewers from around the world,” Chow said.
Held jointly with Cinespace Studios, the ceremony unveiled the renaming of the Marine Terminal campus sound stages as the “Guillermo del Toro Stages” in recognition of the film director’s long-standing relationship with Toronto and its film community.
Being a cornerstone of the city’s creative economy, Toronto’s screen industry generated $2.6 billion in direct spend in 2023.
With a workforce of over 40,000, Toronto’s screen industry has more than 5,000 film and television businesses operating in Ontario, and world-class sound stages and visual effects (VFX) facilities.
A three-time Academy Award-winning director, Guillermo del Toro has filmed several of his celebrated projects at Cinespace Studios in Toronto including The Shape of Water, Nightmare Alley, Cabinet of Curiosities and the highly anticipated Frankenstein.
“Toronto has been a second home to me and my creative endeavors…am deeply grateful to Cinespace Studios for this recognition, and to the Toronto film community for its unwavering support throughout decades of my career, ” Del Toro, Recipient, Key to the City
Del Toro has helped over the past two decades in cementing Toronto’s reputation as a world-class centre for film production and has described the city as his “second home.”
Having contributed significantly to the growth and global recognition of the city’s screen industry, Del Toro’s choosing Toronto as a base for major projects has reaffirmed Toronto’s place as a top-tier production hub.
Also having featured iconic Toronto landmarks, Del Toro’s continued investment in the city has supported Canadian talent and created hundreds of jobs for local crew and craftspeople. and helps build lasting infrastructure and creative capacity.
The Key to the City — Toronto’s highest honour granted by the Mayor to an individual or a group — is awarded to inspiring individuals from diverse backgrounds who embody the spirit and potential of Toronto, and who have contributed significantly to civic life.
More information, including a list of past recipients, is available on the City’s Key to the City website.
“The renaming of these stages is a testament to Guillermo’s impact…and his commitment to storytelling with his Toronto crew base…grateful to have been the production home for many of his projects in Toronto,” Eoin Egan, Co-CEO, Cinespace Studios
About the Cinespace Marine Terminal Campus
Located on Toronto’s waterfront on the edge of the City’s Port Lands in the heart of the studio district, featuring over 160,000 square feet of beautifully renovated production space, the Marine Terminal campus recently served as a production hub for Netflix. It also includes four sound stages with a total square footage of 100,000, multi-use mill shop/support space, and production offices.
About Cinespace Studios
Cinespace Studios is an in-class platform one of the largest sound stage operators globally of production facilities supporting content providers and their creatives. The platform has 116 active stages across Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, Wilmington and Studio Babelsberg in Germany.
For more information, visit www.cinespace.com .
