The Cannes Film Festival is known as an annual market for movers and shakers, and a great launching pad for international directors as well. It was there, in 1993, that Guillermo del Toro (below right) first made a name for himself as a filmmaker, after having established his own special effects and make-up company in Mexico, and years of television work there. His debut feature film, Chronos, picked up a special Critic’s Prize in competition at Cannes, and went on to a stunning sweep of eight Ariel Awards, the Mexican equivalent of the Oscars. Since then, del Toro has steadily worked his way up the Hollywood food chain — all the while never forgetting his roots, and sprinkling his filmography with personal, and often fantastical, Spanish-language period pieces.

His latest movie, this week’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army, finds del Toro working with his biggest budget yet — though surely a
drop in the bucket compared to the combined price tag of the two Hobbit prequels he’s signed to next direct, for producer Peter Jackson. It may
seem strange for a series based around a giant, red, petulant demon
spawn who begrudgingly works for a secret government paranormal
investigatory unit yet really just wants to watch TV and play with his
cats, but the character of Hellboy holds a special, and very personal,
appeal for del Toro. For the full interview feature, from Reelz Channel, click here.