Film director Guillermo Del Toro said this month that he's interested in building a film studio in Hamilton. (Itsuo Inouye/AP Photo)

Horror movie mastermind Guillermo del Toro, a filmmaker celebrated for his singular aesthetic and subversive style, is in a bit of a love affair with Canada. Especially with Toronto, where he owns a home, and with Hamilton, where he has expressed interest in building a film studio.

His first time visiting Toronto was in 1997 to shoot his film Mimic. Winter was bitterly cold that year and filming was a struggle, but the experience stuck with him.

"The crew became family. I still work with a lot of them," del Toro told CBC News. "It's a testament to the Canadian spirit and the absolute top-notch quality of the crews."

Known for his boundless imagination, del Toro has made a litany of memorable films throughout his career, including the surreal Pan's Labyrinth and Pacific Rim.

He's also a collector of all things horror and fantasy. His home in Los Angeles is filled with more than 500 pieces of movie memorabilia, and he brought some of his most interesting pieces for his exhibition, At Home with Monsters, to the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Here's a glimpse of his personal collection:

(Alice Hopton/CBC)

(Alice Hopton/CBC)

(Alice Hopton/CBC)

(Alice Hopton/CBC)

(Alice Hopton/CBC)

(Alice Hopton/CBC)

(Alice Hopton/CBC)

(Alice Hopton/CBC)