INTERVIEW: ‘I Am Frankelda' Makers on AI and Guillermo del Toro's Lessons
There have been a lot of debates about AI taking over Hollywood and reshaping the entire creative industry globally. Filmmakers are slowly and steadily making their stance clear on the growing use of technology to write stories rather than human emotions. Some are completely against it, while others are embracing it. However, for Roy and Arturo Ambriz, the brilliant minds behind Netflix‘s animated movie “I Am Frankelda,” artificial intelligence is something that they’ll never want to use to showcase their storytelling prowess.
Roy and Arturo know how AI is being used to make work easier. But they also know how technology can be a double-edged sword when it comes to craftsmanship and human connections that make storytelling feel more personal. That’s the exact reason why they believe that traditional filmmaking will never die, and the use of AI doesn’t keep them awake at night. Instead, it has strengthened their belief in the kind of filmmaking they already love.
“We are not really that afraid of AI,” Roy exclusively told Newsweek.
During the conversation, Roy didn’t shy away from talking about Martin Scorsese‘s decision to embrace AI, and rather than criticizing him for doing so, he acknowledged that every filmmaker might have their own reasons for using the technology. However, he didn’t shy away from mentioning and applauding young filmmakers like Kane Parsons (“Backrooms”), who have denied using AI and enjoy the creative journey itself, making it clear they feel the same.
“We love filmmakers like Scorsese, and maybe-I’m not sure about this-but perhaps he’s reached a point where he doesn’t want to go through every part of the filmmaking process anymore. That’s understandable. On the other hand, you have someone like the young director of “Backrooms,” who is only about 20 years old. When he was asked whether he would use AI, his response was, ‘Why would I use AI? I want to be a filmmaker.’ That really resonated with us because we feel the same way. Every time we hear about people using more AI, our instinct is to use less technology,” Roy added.
That philosophy is already shaping their future projects. The duo revealed that they will avoid using green screen entirely for their next film and create everything in front of the camera.
On our next film, we’re not planning to use any green screen. Everything will be done in front of the camera, by hand. That’s our way of responding to this AI movement. Maybe people will look at a studio in Mexico that’s still making films without AI, creating everything physically, and feel inspired to do the same,” Roy said.
For Roy and Arturo, filmmaking is not just about doing scenes but about the conversations shared between artists and the joy of making something together. Roy noted, “The truth is, making films is fun. The joy comes from the process itself. We spend our days painting, sculpting, animating, and collaborating with other artists. We’re here from 9 a.m. until midnight sometimes, working together, talking about life, or discussing a show we watched over the weekend. That’s the best part of filmmaking-not the awards or even finishing the film, but actually making it. AI removes a lot of that process, and that’s what concerns us. So we’ll keep doing things our way and see what happens.”
This commitment is one of the primary reasons why “I Am Frankelda” has created a lot of buzz among artists and filmmakers around the globe. One such name is Guillermo del Toro, who not only watched the initial cut of the movie, but also helped Roy and Aurturo in the process. After watching the film, the Academy Award-winning director actively engaged throughout the process and had a lot of conversations, which helped them in creating a movie that had more emotional depth and deep character performances.
Moreover, the duo revealed that the film shown at Annecy and other festivals was different than the final cut that the audience will eventually see.
“After he watched the finished film, we had many long conversations with him. He shared what he felt was working in the first cut and pointed out areas for improvement. That version was only screened at Annecy and a few festivals here in Mexico. Afterward, we went back and re-edited the film, and we even reanimated several scenes. He was very involved throughout that process. He called us almost every day and spoke directly with our animators, offering small but valuable suggestions on how to make certain moments more dramatic and how to make the characters feel more alive, as if they had thoughts and emotions constantly moving beneath the surface,” the duo said.
Del Toro’s guidance extended beyond technical filmmaking advice. He also helped with the project behind the scenes. That’s why the duo calls him the film’s “biggest champion.”
They added, “He helped us tremendously. He also supported us in finding distribution for the film in Mexico, and later helped us connect with Netflix. In many ways, he has been the film's biggest champion. Beyond the practical help, we learned something even more important from him: that the most important thing a filmmaker can be is a good human being. Films are ultimately about connecting with people and helping people.”
“I Am Frankelda” is now available for streaming on Netflix.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 9:31 AM.