BFI America Celebrates Guillermo Del Toro's BFI Fellowship

BFI America last night celebrated the British Film Institute’s (BFI) latest BFI Fellow Guillermo del Toro at an intimate fundraising event in LA with leading industry figures, for the BFI National Archive – one of the world’s most significant collections of film and television. Alongside Guillermo’s pledge to donate a third of his own extensive personal archive to the BFI, a number of individual and corporate donations were made. These will support the BFI’s bi-annual ‘Film on Film Festival’ at BFI Southbank and BFI IMAX London in June 2027 and beyond, one of the only festivals in the world where every film is projected from a print and the only cinema able to project nitrate film in the UK.

BFI America also welcomed Scott Stuber as its newest Board member and honorary co-host of the event with Ben Roberts, CEO, BFI. Alongside BFI Fellow Guillermo del Toro, guests included Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos – who honored Guillermo in his own words, Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria and Dan Lin, Chairman of Netflix Film alongside Pam Abdy CEO of Warner Bros Entertainment, studio executive Sherry Lansing, filmmaker Michael Mann, actor and filmmaker Jon Favreau and actors Bill Hader and Doug Jones.

The BFI’s Film on Film Festival 2025 opened with the original, rare Technicolor British release print ofSTAR WARS (George Lucas, 1977) not seen since its release and introduced on stage by Kathleen Kennedy, film producer and president of Lucasfilm until 2026.

Guillermo del Toro, BFI Fellow said “The BFI is guarding not just British film, but guarding film as an art form and keeping that faith aligned. That is why this honor is so immense.

I believe in the British Film Institute as a beacon of culture, in a time where we are told culture is not important”

Scott Stuber, BFI America Board member said “After four years as a BFI Governor in the UK, I’m delighted to continue to support its work by joining the BFI America Board. Guillermo del Toro’s BFI Fellowship not only honors his brilliance as a filmmaker but is also a reminder of the vital role the BFI plays towards keeping film culture alive.’

Ben Roberts, BFI CEO, said: “Guillermo is one of the most passionate and articulate champions of the BFI National Archive and why its work matters and we are enormously grateful for all his – and all our donors – support, towards the BFI Film on Film Festival.

Each Film on Film screening is only possible thanks to hours of painstaking work by the BFI’s skilled film conservators, curators and projectionists. Their knowledge and expertise allows audiences to experience the magic that is the whirr and flicker of reels of film being projected on the big screen.”

The BFI honored Guillermo del Toro in London on May 6^th2026 with a BFI Fellowship, bestowed by Cate Blanchett at the BFI’s annual Chair’s dinner, hosted by BFI Chair Jay Hunt. Long inspired by the BFI National Archive, Guillermo visited the archive’s Conservation Center last month in Berkhamsted, UK and will be a guest curator for the BFI’s Film on Film festival next year, selecting a film print from the archive for the program.

BFI Film on Film

Launched in 2023, this bi-annual festival presents to audiences a wealth of both familiar and rare, discovery titles taken from the vast collections of the BFI National Archive. The programme spans fiction features, documentaries, artists’ work, and much more in between, across the widest range of formats, from 8mm to IMAX, there’s even room for Pathé’s forgotten 28mm gauge. The second edition of BFI Film on Film in 2025 opened with a glorious dye-transfer original British release print ofSTAR WARS (George Lucas, 1977) introduced by Kathleen Kennedy. It closed with a pristine 35mm print of the original US Pilot episode of TWIN PEAKS (David Lynch, 1990), used for the original UK BBC transmission. Screening for the first time ever in the UK, the print was presented in person by Kyle MacLachlan. It also included a rare nitrate programme including the oldest print ever projected to UK audiences, the 96-year-old print of UN CHIEN ANDALOU (Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí, 1929). The DAY OF THE FIGHT (1951) and THE KILLING (1956) loaned from Stanley Kubrick’s personal print collection also featured alongside a 70mm celebration with screenings of AMADEUS (1984) and EMPIRE OF THE SUN plus a 15 perf/70mm IMAX print of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968), created under the supervision of BFI Fellow Christopher Nolan, and screening for the first time on the UK’s biggest screen at BFI IMAX.

BFI America

BFI America champions the work of the BFI in the US and internationally, including the vital preservation and restoration work of the BFI National Archive, and maintains the organization’s enduring partnership with US cinema and its vibrant film community. The distinguished BFI America Board includes: Barbara Broccoli CBE (BFI Fellow), Rebecca Kearey (Head of International and Business Operations, Searchlight Pictures) Deborah Schindler (Producer), Steven Adams (Producer), Penelope Wong (filmmaker and marketing strategist), Scott Stuber (Producer), Martin M. Cooper ((President, Cooper Communications) and Dr. Mali Heled Kinberg (UCLA Professor). It is Chaired by Colin Walsh (Founder, Varo Money Inc.).

BFI National Archive

Since its founding in 1935, the BFI National Archive has served as an essential gateway connecting audiences with the evolving history of cinema. From preserving early silent films on fragile nitrate film prints to collecting online contemporary work via the latest digital innovations, BFI enlivens unproduced ‘lost’ works through scripts, costume and production sketches, and cares for the stills and posters of global cultural touchstones.

BFI has long enjoyed deep connections to the American film community with its extensive holdings—including over 25,000 American film and television works—featuring rare and original release prints like Sidney Poitier’s groundbreaking debut in NO WAY OUT (1950, Joseph L Mankiewicz) on a rare nitrate print, and Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece JAWS (1975) on an immaculate dye-transfer Technicolor print. The BFI National Archive proudly collaborates with distinguished US organizations, including Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation and the George Eastman Museum, embarking on exhaustive restoration projects as well as creating new 35mm prints, celebrating cinema’s lasting legacy. The BFI is a key cultural partner for American archives and film institutions, loaning rare archival prints for restorations and screenings including the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, The Museum of Modern Art, SIFF Seattle, and TCM Classic Film Festival.

The ambitious endeavors of the BFI National Archive rely on the generosity and dedicated support of its funders and partners, who share its vision of preserving and celebrating cinematic heritage. You can sample their groundbreaking work here.

About The British Film Institute (BFI)

The BFI is a cultural charity, a National Lottery distributor, and the UK’s lead organisation for film and the moving image. Its mission is:

To support creativity and actively seek out the next generation of UK storytellers
To grow and care for the BFI National Archive, the world’s largest film and television archive
To offer the widest range of UK and international moving image culture through our programmes and festivals – delivered online and in venue
To use our knowledge to educate and deepen public appreciation and understanding of film and the moving image
To work with Government and industry to ensure the continued growth of the UK’s screen industries

Founded in 1933, the BFI is a registered charity governed by Royal Charter. The BFI Board of Governors is chaired by Jay Hunt, OBE.

About BFI America:

BFI America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supporting screen culture, learning and heritage in the UK and US. Its donors have contributed over $3m to date to drive the BFI’s work forward.