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Guillermo del Toro recalls his desperate, death-defying police chase to finance 'Cronos'

“I was so broke.”

TIFF; Photo credit: Canva

Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro recounts the lengths he went through to finance his first movie.

In a video from 2001 that’s resurfaced and is warming hearts across social media, Oscar-winning writer-director Guillermo del Toro recounts the extraordinary, almost comical lengths he went to finance his debut 1993 feature, Cronos—including what he refers to as “one of the most pathetic hot pursuits in the history of mankind.”

The clip, shared by the Toronto International Film Festival, shows del Toro explaining the non-traditional methods he had to resort to in order to finance Cronos, a quirky vampire flick which Roger Ebert described as “the stuff of classic horror films… [combined] with colorful Latin magic realism.” At the time, no one but the then 29-year-old director believed in the project, forcing del Toro to mortgage his house and sell his beloved car to scrape together the rest of the budget for the film, which totaled roughly $2 million.

“I was so broke,” del Toro recounts with a laugh.



“I was on the way to deliver my van to the car dealership where they were going to put it up for sale. And, for anyone who saw that movie, [I had] the giant gears from inside the clock in my van... and I was driving, I realized that I didn’t have the money to bribe a policeman. I had just passed a red light, and the cop was chasing me, and I said, 'I don’t have the money to bribe him, I’m going to have to escape.” - Guillermo del Toro


In Guadalajara, where del Toro was, and in Mexico at large, there’s a culture of “la mordida,” which translates to “the bite.” Colloquially, it's a term that refers to the common practice of bribing police officers, which is widely recognized as an aspect of daily life and as an informal way to resolve minor infractions, such as traffic violations. In a survey from 2023, over 20% of respondents in Mexico said that they were asked or required to pay a bribe to police officers.

“So, in comes one of the most pathetic hot pursuits in history of mankind,” continues del Toro. “A guy with an old van and huge gears, and a cop in a very crappy police car.” He goes on to explain that, despite these extreme sacrifices, he never recovered the money. “I mean, I did get a career, I did get to do other movies, but I lost a quarter of a million dollars out of my own pocket,” he describes. “And back then, the interest [at] the bank was 110%.”


Which might have been fine, if the movie had done well in Mexico. But the financial nightmare didn’t end with production. After the movie wrapped, the Mexican government refused to support it—despite Cronos and del Toro's invitation to Festival de Cannes, the world's most prestigious international film festival. “What was even more disheartening is that after having the movie done, the government saw it and said 'Well, it’s okay,’” says del Toro. “And I was like, 'Oh, but it’s so beautiful and it’s about vampires!’” So again, on his own dime, del Toro found his way to Cannes, without the official support or funding from his home country.

He recalls this part of the story with charismatic warmth: “So I said, 'Well, it’s a festival. I’ve been to a festival in Guadalajara; I think I can handle it. Let’s get there with 20 posters and a roll of tape; should prove more than enough.” The audience and del Toro laugh, knowing the immense scale of the distinguished film festival. When he and his wife arrived with just 20 posters in hand, del Toro immediately felt the sheer immensity of the moment. The director, despite being an atheist, even admits to praying in a church near Cannes out of desperation.

julia louis dreyfus, veep, praying, god, jesus christIn a moment of desperation, del Toro, an atheist, prayed to God for help.media2.giphy.com

Yet, Cronoscrushed at Cannes that year, where del Toro was nominated for the Caméra d’Or (or "Golden Camera,” the award for the best feature film by a first-time director). He also won the International Critic’s Mercedes-Benz Award, launching del Toro’s remarkable career, which began with an official Oscar submission for Best International Film from Mexico for Cronos in 1993. And although that film failed to pick up a nomination, del Toro would go on to win multiple Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, for films including The Shape of Water (2017) and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006).

For aspiring screenwriters and creatives facing their own obstacles, del Toro’s journey offers a powerful reminder: sometimes, the most beautiful work requires incredibly difficult sacrifices. But in hindsight, even the most monumental of setbacks can be the very thing that leads you to your destiny. Or, in del Toro’s own words: “I think we live our lives seeking the shortest route, the closest parking space—everything quick, cheap, fast. And it’s not better. Two-thirds of the satisfaction of getting something is the process of getting it.”

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What 'Master of None's' Emmy wins and losses say about the future of TV.

Alan Yang and Aziz Ansari gave a funny, important speech at the Emmys on Sept. 18, 2016.

The duo accepted the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for their show, "Master of None" on Netflix — a big win for diverse television and the people behind the scenes who make it.

"There's 17 million Asian-Americans in this country, and there's 17 million Italian-Americans. They have 'The Godfather,' 'Goodfellas,' 'Rocky,' 'The Sopranos.' We got Long Duk Dong," Yang said, referencing the stereotypical character from "Sixteen Candles."

"We have a long way to go. But I know we can get there."

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

It was one of those speeches that should have gone about five minutes longer — not just because it was fantastic, but because Ansari totally got cut off by the music before he could give what was probably going to be an epic speech himself.

Watching Ansari get rushed off stage wasn't the only downer for his fans, though; soon after, we watched as he lost what would have been an enormous win in a different category.

Ansari was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. He would have been the first South Asian actor to ever win in a leading category.

But he lost. And that, of course, meansthere's still never been a South Asian actor to win a leading category. Ever!

Although Ansari's co-writing win was great, his acting nod loss (as well as his show's loss in Outstanding Comedy Series) touches on the state of diversity on television Yang alluded to earlier. Because while the Emmys may be more diverse than the Oscars, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Peabody.

Throughout the 68 Emmy award shows, no East Asian actor has ever won, either. (None!) 30 years have gone by since the last black woman was nominated for Lead Actress in a Comedy (shout-out to Tracee Ellis Ross for breaking the streak this year). And the acting slots for drama? They’ve been particularly behind on the diversity front — this year, just three of the 24 acting slots in those categories went to people of color. (These stats are all on top of the fact Ansari's loss was to quite the problematic category favorite.)

That's not OK to the "Master of None" star.

Ansari has a history of speaking out on the importance of diversity in Hollywood. And he walks the walk, too.

As a co-creator of "Master of None," he's helped develop one of the most diverse casts on TV right now. He gets why representation in our media matters.

Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images

"I want to thank Netflix and Universal for believing in us and letting us tell our stories," he said back in May at the Peabody Awards. "I think they really seem to get what diversity really is. It's not, 'Hey, let's give this white protagonist a brown friend!' No. It's, 'Let's have a show where there's a token white guy.' And that's what [our show] is."

Things are looking up though. Despite Ansari’s loss tonight, diversity at the Emmys have gotten a lot better recently.

"I believe in us," Yang said in his Emmys speech. "It's just gonna take a lot of hard work."

That hard work is already paying off.

This year, 25% of the acting nominees were people of color — since the first Emmys, just 9% of the nominees in total have been actors of color — so 2016 was certainly a step up.

Even better, it’s probably not a one-off. The past few years have boasted relatively inclusive nomination slots, which means there’s every reason to be hopeful diversity at the Emmys isn’t just a fad.

Check out Upworthy’s timeline of trailblazers who’ve helped make the 2016 Emmys one of the most diverse ever.

Why every female filmmaker owes a part of their career to these 6 brave women.

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

"You are supported by all woman of good will"

Fact: The movie business is run by straight white guys.

It's not just a feeling, it's a well-documented phenomenon.

According to a study released by the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California, around 75% of the top executives at film studios are men. And only 3.4% of all film directors and 10.8% of film screenwriters are women. Oh and just in case you forgot, women make up about 50% of the population.

Just a few of the middle-aged white guys making decisions about the movies you see.

And while Hollywood's sexism problem is all over the news these days, many people forget that there are women who've been in this fight for close to 40 years.

In 1979, six women filmmakers put their careers on the line and took on sexism in the industry.

Dubbed, "The Original Six," these directors (Susan Bay Nimoy, Joelle Dobrow, Nell Cox, Dolores Ferraro, Vicki Hochberg, and Lynne Littman) pushed for groundbreaking research on the number of women behind the scenes in filmmaking. Their findings eventually lead to a lawsuit against Warner Brothers and Paramount in 1983.

The suit was dismissed in court in 1985, based on counterclaims from the studios. (The studios said they weren't in charge of all the hiring decisions and couldn't be accused of discrimination.)

Despite the setback, the lawsuit started a conversation — one that's been happening in whispers and screams for decades.

So what do The Original Six have to say about the current state of Hollywood? Plenty.

Four of the women, Dobrow, Cox, Littman, and Hochberg, sat down for an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit. They sifted through dozens of questions (and thousands of comments from redditors who refuse to believe sexism exists) to give their thoughts on the industry.

Whether you're in the biz or you just catch movies on Netflix, the women delivered five truths on equality, Hollywood, and social justice that everyone should hear.

1. The fight for equality may be won in waves, and that's OK.

This isn't as simple as "women directors now, everyone else when the time is right" because it's not just representation behind the camera. Strong characters and role models in film are helping to shift the momentum too.

"Victoria here: I am going to speak about role models in movies. We now have Katniss who courageously defends her people with a weapon, Ray [sic] who can pilot a space ship better than Han Solo, and Furiosa who deliberately goes off track to protect other women. There is no way a young girl watching these films will accept that she can't do something like direct movies. I can't wait to see the current ten year olds when someone tells them that."

A fan poses with a wax figure of "The Hunger Games'" Katniss Everdeen.

2. Don't get mad. Get mad and creative.

Half of film school grads are women but less than 2% of the top-grossing films of 2013 and 2014 were directed by women. That may be a discouraging disconnect, but the tide is shifting toward scrappy, creative producers, directors, and writers.

Take 31-year-old jill-of-all-trades Issa Rae. She developed her own web series, "Awkward Black Girl" in 2011. Her show caught the attention of Pharrell Williams and other influencers. She's now working on a comedy pilot and recently joined forces with HBO on an opportunity to give other traditionally underrepresented creatives an opportunity in the television industry.

"Victoria here: The world has changed. But basic truths remain. Change happens when the haves are forced to share. That is brought about in many different ways: Constant protest, demanding accountability, legal assaults. Entry level positions (episodic tv) are still very bad for women. Make your own film and be your own Hollywood via your cell phone (camera) and computer (editing and distribution). Just remember- you are supported by all woman of good will."

Rae at the 2016 Essence Black Women In Hollywood awards luncheon.

3. Your cause may be important, but it's not always the most important.

When a redditor asked if women directors should push the UN Commission on the Status of Women to help them achieve 50/50 representation in Hollywood by 2020, Littman effectively said, "pump the brakes." In the scheme of things, this effort is about women finding fulfilling creative work, a drop in the problem-bucket when women are being killed, assaulted, and disenfranchised around the world. It doesn't mean you stop trying, it just means other victories are life and death, so this one may not be a priority for everyone all the time.

"Lynne here: Among Chris Rock's most brilliant comments on the Oscar telecast: 'When your gramma is swinging from a tree, don't worry about who won best cinematographer.... etc.' The UN Commission should be concerned with saving women's lives, ending honor killings, female mutilation and voting rights. AND ... 50/50 by 2020 is Science Fiction."

Demonstrators protest violence against women on International Women's Day.

4. Hey dudes, you have a part to play in this too.

It's not solely up to women to dismantle systemic sexism. I'll say it again for the good of the group: It's not solely up to women to dismantle systemic sexism. Allies are vital!

One redditor highlighted director/producer J.J. Abrams who said ahead of his next projects, he wants agents to send him lists of directors, writers, and producers that better represent the true makeup of the country.

Not surprisingly, The Original Six are totally on board with Abrams and any other male allies who believe in the cause.

"Lynne here: I think it's GREAT! Doesn't matter how we get there. Creative producers with power eliminate the middle-men — they can hire us directly. Bravo!"

J.J. Abrams speaks at South By Southwest.

5. Want to fight for equality? Stir the pot and help other women.

When asked what the most important thing women could do to improve equality, Hochberg said disruption and connection are paramount.

"Victoria here: The most important thing for all of us to do is to NOT accept the status quo. Also, women must help other women. Women who can, must hire other women. Also, push for diversity casting."

A toast among guests at Glamour's Women Rewriting Hollywood Lunch at Sundance.

Though The Original Six are still working as creative professionals and fighting for equality, last year the federal government picked up where they left off.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission began interviewing women directors last fall to see what, if any, course of action they should pursue to ensure these large production companies comply with the Civil Rights Act. On paper, it looks like the studios may be breaking Title VII, which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, national origin, or religion.

There's more to come in this case, but whether the government intervenes or not, there's a lot we can do to support and encourage women-led projects.

Seek them out. Buy tickets. Share great work. Together, we'll win.

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J.J. Abrams has a plan to put Hollywood on the path to diversity.

In response to the Oscars controversy, the 'Star Wars' director has big plans.

You've probably heard lately that diversity in Hollywood is not looking good.

In fact, just last month, the University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism released its annual report on diversity in entertainment media.

The study found that across writers, directors, and actors, Hollywood has a tendency to be very white and very male — disproportionately white and male.We even put together some cropped photos to illustrate how skewed the whole mess is when compared to the actual representation groups have in the U.S. population.

One reason this problem continues is that the people who have the power to make a difference (who are often white and male) don't see that discrimination is happening because it doesn't happen to them.

Just two weeks after the conversation around #OscarsSoWhite, producer/director J.J. Abrams told the Hollywood Reporter that he'd like to see things change in the hiring process.



Abrams has seen firsthand how well movies led by women and people of color can do at the box office.

He directed a little movie you may have heard of called "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Know that one? The one with the cast that looked like this:

Lupita Nyong'o, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, and Oscar Isaac. Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney.

That movie did pretty OK at the box office, bringing in more than $1 billion and breaking all sorts of box office records. The excuse that movies won't make money unless they center on white men simply doesn't hold water.

"Mad Max: Fury Road" and "The Hunger Games" franchise prove that women can lead badass action films. The "Pitch Perfect" franchise, "Bridesmaids," and "Spy" demonstrate that yes, people are interested in seeing female-fronted comedies.

And when it comes to people of color, the same thing goes: Yes, movies with predominantly black, Latino, or Asian casts can also be commercial successes. "Straight Outta Compton," "Beasts of No Nation," and "Creed" saw commercial and critical success this year. Sadly, though, movies led by women and people of color are still way underrepresented in society.

Using the data from the USC Annenberg report, you can see just how off-kilter and unrealistic some of Hollywood's proportions are.

Let's take a look at gender. The study found that 71.3% of speaking parts in movies went to men, despite the fact that men make up a little less than half of the U.S. population.

Upworthy original. Data: Comprehensive Annenberg Report on Diversity in Entertainment, U.S. Census.

For directors, the comparison is even worse. In the film industry, female directors are almost nowhere to be found. The same goes for writers: Nearly 9 in 10 writers in Hollywood are men.

Creating a more diverse cast and crew makes for a stronger, more well-rounded entertainment experience. A focus on diversity isn't just for diversity's sake, but for the benefit of audiences too.

As Abrams says in his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the goal isn't simply to have more diverse writers, directors, and actors, but to create better films.

Just two weeks after the #OscarsSoWhite backlash hit the entertainment industry, Abrams' production company, Bad Robot, enacted a new policy for hiring directors, writers, and actors. For each new project, teams will be required to submit job candidates in line with the proportions of the U.S. population.

He explains the reasoning in the interview:

Does this mean the final product of Abrams' future films will be completely and totally balanced? Of course not.

This new setup has to do with the interview and submission process, not the hiring. So fear not, Internet commenters ready to smear this plan as affirmative action run amok (I see you getting those tweeting fingers ready to go), this is nothing like that.It is, instead, a path forward to a more authentic (and better) Hollywood experience for everyone involved.

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