The Del Toro effect

Oscar nominated director Guillermo Del Toro gushed about the Hamilton’s love and respect of the arts while at the Toronto International Film Festival yesterday. He even mentioned building his own studio here one day to add to the already busy schedule of movies and TV shows being filmed in “The Hammer.”

“I think the city is incredibly generous to filmmakers, it really is and it makes a huge difference. I think if I have it my way I’d have a studio there, soon.”

That’s a wish Mayor Fred Eisenberger wants to help Del Toro realize. The city has been trying to bring a studio to Hamilton for years.

Due to it’s historical architecture and of course tax breaks, Hamilton has been the backdrop of countless movies and TV shows. In fact, councillor Sam Merulla is giving residents and businesses around Ottawa street a heads up that they’ll be in the spotlight next month.

“A blockbuster type of movie with explosives and very dramatic scenes that would take up a 48 hour period where the road needs to be closed.”

It’s the type of interruption many welcome.