The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) will celebrate Guillermo del Toro with its Board of Governors Award at the 40th Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards Gala on March 8 at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, Calif.
“Guillermo del Toro has reshaped modern cinema by treating the screen as a living canvas, painting worlds where beauty and terror share the same heartbeat,” said ASC president Mandy Walker, “A truly independent and original visionary of cinematic storytelling, Guillermo continually enchants us with his style and with the visceral experiences he creates for audiences in the cinema.”
The ASC chose del Toro to receive the Board of Governors Award in recognition of his significant and indelible contributions to the art of filmmaking. This ASC honor is reserved for collaborators who champion directors of photography and elevate the visual craft at the heart of cinema.
From the outset, del Toro demonstrated extraordinary vision–his first feature, “Cronos” (1993), premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and earned the Critics’ Prize. He has gone on to direct and produce a slate of acclaimed films: “The Devil’s Backbone” (2001), “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006), “Mimic” (1997), “Hellboy” (2004), “Pacific Rim” (2013), and “Crimson Peak” (2015). He wrote and directed “The Shape of Water” (2017), which earned 13 Academy Award nominations and won four, including Best Picture and Best Director, along with Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards for Best Director. His first stop‑motion feature, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” (2022), co‑directed with Mark Gustafson, won the Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Producers Guild of America Award for Best Animated Film.
“Frankenstein,” del Toro’s most recent Netflix live‑action feature released in fall 2025, stars Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, and Mia Goth. The Oscar-nominated feature reflects del Toro’s continued commitment to reimagining classic stories through a bold visual lens.
“It is a privilege to recognize Guillermo del Toro with this award,” added ASC Award chairperson Chuck Minsky. “His contributions to the art of filmmaking–both narratively and visually–have elevated the medium in profound ways, and we are deeply appreciative of the legacy he continues to build.”
Previous recipients of the ASC Board of Governors Award include Kathleen Kennedy, Spike Lee, Viola Davis, Sofia Coppola, Jeff Bridges, Angelina Jolie, Denzel Washington, Ridley Scott, Barbra Streisand, Harrison Ford, Julia Roberts, Christopher Nolan, Morgan Freeman, Francis Ford Coppola, Sally Field, Ron Howard, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg.
