Global Flicks: Jeon Somi Makes Her Acting Debut, Latido Films picks up ‘Perez Rodriguez’

Laundry

Africa: The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2025 is officially underway. Director Zamo Mkhwanazi’s Laundry is getting rave reviews. The story is set in South Africa in 1968 and focuses on a Black family running a business in a white-only district during apartheid. Critics are calling the story a very personal story. The film premiered at TIFF and has yet to announce a release date.

Jeon somi - Han Myung-Gu

Asia: K-pop star Jeon Somi is making her acting debut in the new horror film titled Perfect Girl, alongside Arden Cho and Adeline Rudolph. The film is being described as “Scream meets Black Swan.” Lynn Q. Yu is writing the film, and Hong Won-ki is slated to direct.

Korean singer, actor, and performer Park Bo-Gum is set to star in a historical drama directed by Jang Hoon. Park will star alongside Kim Nam-Gil. The project is being described as a mixture of “King Lear and Succession.” This is director Jang Hoon's latest project after his big hit, A Taxi Driver.

William Mundell’s Neurosphere Entertainment has acquired the film and TV rights to author Mae Ngai’s historical book, The Lucky Ones: One Family and the Extraordinary Invention of Chinese America. The book covers the story of trailblazers in the fight for Chinese-American rights during the Chinese exclusion era and is being developed as both a film and a TV series. Joseph Culp and Robyn Mundell will be writing the scripts.

Pérez Rodríguez

Latin America: Spain’s Latido Films picks up Dominican family drama Pérez Rodríguez. Hot off its premiere at TIFF, the film is the directorial debut of Humberto Tavárez. Its synopsis reads, “A story told over the course of three celebratory gatherings, the film looks at the return of the patriarch’s illegitimate son, as his return causes turmoil for the entire family. Spanning three family gatherings, the film explores topics such as Dominican identity and middle-class issues. The film is receiving rave reviews and is slated for a release date next year. 

The Venice Film Festival just wrapped, and two Latin American filmmakers won awards at the festival. Mexican director David Pablos won Best Film in the Orizzonti competition for his work On The Road. The film’s synopsis reads, “Veneno, a young drifter, sleeps with truck drivers at roadside diners. Upon encountering a man known as Muñeco, they create a bond and travel together across northern Mexico. As they travel onward, their bond grows; however, Veneno’s dark past catches up, creating problems for the two.” The film has yet to announce an official release date. Ecuadorian director Ana Cristina Barragán also won big at the film festival for Best Screenplay for her film The Ivy. The film synopsis reads, “A 30-year-old woman trapped in her own history of adolescence takes to spying on teenagers in a group home. As she watches, she eventually creates a bond with a young 17-year-old boy named Julio. Although their social differences create tension, their unlikely bond slowly helps her overcome her trauma.” The film has yet to release an official release date.