Del Toro is the most popular figure almost anywhere he goes. But there's no place like home for the Oscar-winning director, who attended the opening of a theater in his name and announced a new grant for aspiring filmmakers

Image Courtesy of FICG/ Julio Lopez

GUADALAJARA — The excitement surrounding Guillermo del Toro’s presence at the Guadalajara Film Festival reached fever pitch by the end of last week, and manifested itself as a rousing standing ovation when the director made his first appearance at this year’s 33^rd edition of the Guadalajara Film Festival.

It had long been planned that the director would come back to his home town to open a theater in his name and give a masterclass. That was before the genial Mexican won best director and best picture at last Sunday’s Academy Awards.

Spots for Saturday’s scheduled masterclass filled immediately when an astounding 30,000 requests for entry were made in the first half hour. In typical selfless fashion, del Toro offered to host another, and when that one filled, he volunteered for a third. All free of charge, and open to the public, including at least one class to be held at the city’s gargantuan Telmex Auditorium, with seating for 9,000.

In the end, Saturday’s talk was live-streamed on Facebook, broadcast locally on Canal 22, and played on every screen at every booth at the festival, as well as the massive, stadium-style screen attached to the building’s facade.

Read more at Variety.com