IFF Panama Closing Night Film ‘Milly, Queen of Merengue,’ About the Four-Time Latin Grammy Winner, Spins a Tale of Grit and Heart

Apr 7, 2026 10:29am PT IFF Panama Closing Night Film ‘Milly, Queen of Merengue,’ About the Four-Time Latin Grammy Winner, Spins a Tale of Grit and Heart 'What's most striking is that more than 50 years have passed since Milly first set foot on U.S. soil, yet many of the challenges she faced are not only still present, they are now increasing,’ says its Dominican director Leticia Tonos By Anna Marie de la Fuente Plus Icon Anna Marie de la Fuente @adelafuente1 Latest ‘This Film Is Urgent,’ Says the Panamanian Director of ‘Culebra Cut’ as the U.S. Military Conducts Exercises on Bases It Left Decades Ago 11 minutes ago Peru’s Tribeca-Winning Doc ‘Runa Simi’ Opens IFF Panama Which Closes With Leticia Tonos’ ‘Milly, Queen of Merengue’ 4 hours ago ‘Nine Lives’ Director Rodrigo García’s First Netflix Series ‘Santita,’ Starring Gael García Bernal, Bows April 22, Unveils First-Look Photos 2 weeks ago See All Dominican filmmaker Leticia Tonos is rated to be back in top form with her latest feature “Milly, Queen of Merengue,” which closes the 14 th Panama International Film Festival ( IFF Panama ) on April 12. It’s Tonos’ first crack at making a bio-musical. She is best known for her three dramas which have represented the Dominican Republic at the Oscars , starting with her debut feature, “Love Child” (“La hija natural”) followed by “Cristo Rey” and “A State of Madness” (“Mis 500 Locos”). Related Stories Jonah Hill Says It’s ‘Bizarre’ Kanye West Once Posted About Liking Jewish People Again Because of Him: ‘The Hate Stuff Sucks’ but ‘He’s the Greatest Artist to Ever Live’