From first-time features by emerging U.S.-based talent to a star-studded production to a new look at one of the most beloved Mexican American music artists ever, the Latino films premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival (which kicks off Thursday) offer a look into the future of stories about distinct Latino groups in this country, while also showing us a glimpse at new voices from Latin America. Below, you’ll find a list of seven films to keep an eye out for.
‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’
A musical reimagining of Manuel Puig’s novel, this high-profile title features Mexican star Diego Luna as Valentin, a political prisoner during Argentina’s Dirty War who develops an intimate connection with a fellow incarcerated man named Molina (newcomer Tonatiuh). Jennifer Lopez plays the titular spider woman. The source material had previously been adapted for the screen in the 1985 movie by late Brazilian director Héctor Babenco (which received four Oscar nominations), set during Brazil’s military dictatorship. “Dreamgirls” director Bill Condon spearheads this new take.
‘Mad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo)’
Dominican American filmmaker Joel Alfonso Vargas’ debut feature follows Rico (Juan Collado), a Bronx teenager who makes a living selling homemade alcoholic cocktails on the beach. But that hustle won’t be enough now that his girlfriend Destiny (Destiny Checo) is moving in with him and his family. Working with a cast of fresh faces, Vargas, a Bronx native, mixes scripted scenes and moments of improvisation in the pursuit of authenticity. Vargas, it seems, aims to depict this specific Latino community not as an outsider but as someone with strong ties to the places and people he’s putting on screen.
‘Magic Farm’
“El Planeta,” a Spain-set, black-and-white portrait of a mother and daughter’s warped relationship, introduce the irreverent and piercing humor of Argentine-born artist Amalia Ulman. Her sophomore effort takes her to South America via a culture-clash narrative following an American crew traveling to profile an Argentine musician. Their ineptitude complicates the journey, elucidating misconnections and cross-cultural exchanges. Ulman worked with a cast of American and Argentine actors, including Chloë Sevigny and Valeria Lois, in what promises to be a deeper dive into her singular worldview.
‘Rains Over Babel’
Described as “psychedelic” and a “steampunk fever-dream” by festival programmers, this Colombian debut from writer-director Gala del Sol unfolds inside a one-of-a-kind bar called Babel where an ensemble of audaciously memorable queer characters, each confronting their own personal baggage, have encounters with Death incarnate: an entity known as La Flaca. This boundary-pushing vision, inspired by Dante’s “Inferno,” appears vibrant and colorful in more ways than one. As far as Latin American queer stories go, Del Sol’s entry could prove to be truly unlike anything else we’ve seen on screen before.
‘Selena y Los Dinos’
What else can be said about an icon whose life, career and image have already been so intensely mined? Filmmaker Isabel Castro (“Mija”) dares to offer a new look at the rise and short-lived glory of the now legendary Tejano artist Selena Quintanilla, as well as her siblings and parents, who made music their family business. The documentary features previously unseen footage, but what’s most intriguing is whether Castro, a nonfiction storyteller focused on Mexican American narratives, will be able to do something distinct with the material considering the protective Quintanilla clan served as executive producers.
‘Serious People’
Back in 2023, the Mexican American filmmaking duo Cliqua — comprised of Pasqual Gutiérrez and Raúl Sanchez — debuted the short film “Shut Up & Fish,” which revolved around the “Edgar” haircut popular among young Latino men. Now the two star together in a quasi-autobiographical fiction about Pascual, a music director on the rise who is about to become a father. As the demands of these two facets of his life become overwhelming, he decides to hire a doppelgänger to take over his professional commitments. But the results are less than ideal. Gutiérrez co-directs this feature debut with Ben Mullinkosson.
‘The Virgin of the Quarry Lake’
Marking the first time the terrifying short story by acclaimed Argentine author Mariana Enríquez has been adapted for the screen, this coming-of-age narrative is set against the seismic economic crisis that afflicted Argentina in the early 2000s and tracks a troubling romantic entanglement between a group of teenagers. Among them, Natalia (Dolores Oliverio), the adolescent protagonist insecure about an older girl getting the attention of the boy she likes, begins to explore her growing carnal desires while tapping into the otherworldly. The premise points to what could be an intriguing take on familiar tropes.
