After offering his support to animators, del Toro opined about the racism that he has faced at various points in his career as a Mexican filmmaker.

While del Toro said he’s happy that some progress has been made, he called on the Latin filmmaking community to stick together to fight the racism that they still face. He reminded minority filmmakers that, when one artist from a marginalized group achieves something great, they all benefit.

Del Toro said as he encouraged his fellow Mexican filmmakers to keep making great films. “There’s a lot of subtle racism. … There is a glass ceiling, and you have to keep pushing all the time.”