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

Anna Marie de la Fuente

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Anna Marie de la Fuente

@adelafuente1

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Milly, Queen of Merengue stars Sandy Hernández. Courtesy of Linea Espiral Prods.

Dominican filmmaker Leticia Tonos is rated to be back in top form with her latest feature “Milly, Queen of Merengue,” which closes the 14th 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”).