Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ Honored With THR’s Inaugural Trailblazer Award for Sustainable Production at TIFF
The Hollywood Reporter wrapped its exclusive Toronto International Film Festival conversation with Guillermo del Toro and his Frankenstein cast Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac, Mia Goth and Christoph Waltz by honoring the film with THR’s inaugural Trailblazer Award for Sustainable Production. The award, which recognizes significant contributions to reducing the environmental impact of film productions, was presented to del Toro by Sam Read, executive director of the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance.
Among its green achievements while filming in Toronto, Frankenstein used electric vehicles (EVs) on the production which were quickly recharged through temporary DC fast-charging stations provided by Netflix. The use of diesel generators was cut by more than a third, with Ontario’s clean electricity grid used instead through careful redistribution of available power. These measures, combined with hybrid vehicles, allowed the production to avoid over 50,000 liters of fuel. Additionally, while filming in the U.K., Frankenstein became the first Netflix production to use a mobile hydrogen power unit.
Read highlighted the impact of these efforts in his remarks: “We know from our industry research that the majority of a film’s carbon emissions come from fuel usage, so we’re honored to recognize Frankenstein and Guillermo del Toro’s legacy of sustainability, whether that is how you make the films, but also the films that you make which explore the balance between humanity and the natural world we live in.”
The production also made substantial strides in reducing waste, including minimizing single-use plastics and recycling 180 metric tons of steel from its sets. These initiatives reflected a holistic commitment to sustainability, from energy use to material recycling.
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“Shout out to Miles Dale who is always insisting on this,” said del Toro, crediting his long-time collaborator, producer J. Miles Dale, for driving the sustainability efforts on Frankenstein. He added, “Miles Dale and I have been partners for more than a decade, and his dedication to these practices has always been inspiring.”
Dale noted, “We have 53 EV and hybrid vehicles on the show. With our fast chargers here, we can charge a car in about 20 minutes.” He continued, “I think increasingly we will have electric vehicles. That movement is coming. I think that we as producers are committed to doing that going forward.”
Running a sustainable production does not require giving up full creative control, notes del Toro, “We have to decide which one is the thing that we can do more reasonably when we want full control and also not damaging a natural resource. It is a people-driven industry. So you have an impact on the community immediately.”
This event was sponsored by the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance.
