As the Malaga Film Festival’s Country Guest of Honor, the Dominican Republic has sent a number of standout productions, among them, family dramedy “Perez Rodriguez” from Lantica Studios.
One of the key driving forces behind the Caribbean nation’s uptick in local filmmaking, Lantica Studios has been producing an average of two to three original features a year for more than a decade. It also owns and operates the country’s sprawling horizon water tank facility. Formerly known as the Pinewood Dominican Republic Studios, it was renamed Lantica Studios in May 2024 when the venerable Pinewood Studios sold its minority stake to Dominican-owned company Lantica Media.
“Our objective is threefold: first, to support local talent; second, to showcase Latin American stories to international audiences ; and third, to train younger generations entering the industry,” said Lantica Studios CEO Albert Martinez.
“The idea is that the more we support local talent, the more the national industry grows,” Lantica’s VP of production Rafael Elías Muñoz, pointed out.
The debut feature of helmer-scribe Humberto Tavárez is a satirical yet earnest portrait of a Dominican family navigating generational struggles. When tragedy strikes, the return of the patriarch’s illegitimate son shatters their carefully maintained facade, exposing deep-seated hypocrisies. Told through three celebrations, the film explores Dominican identity, middle-class quirks and the complexities of family bonds.
“Basically, my movie stems from a desire to portray the Dominican upper-middle class, a social group that is rarely explored in Dominican cinema,” Tavárez told Variety, adding: “And since Dominican cinema is still very young, I felt there was a need to document the middle class—how it behaves, how it functions. That’s why the film has a somewhat idiosyncratic nature.”
It’s also a reflection of the upbringing of children in Dominican and Latino societies on the whole where parents seem reluctant to let their children grow into fully independent adults, he mused.
“It’s a reality that can be universal, even deeply connected to generational dynamics. I remember coming across a statistic that said Baby Boomers were the wealthiest generation in human history, while Millennials and Gen Z now struggle with the global economy just to stay afloat. So, it’s not just a matter of comfort—it’s sometimes a necessity. To maintain the standard of living a family once had, it often needs to be subsidized, much like governments do,” Muñoz asserted.
“Perez Rodriguez” is among the growing number of Lantica Studios productions that have placed in prominent festivals such as Malaga. It joins “Aire” by Leticia Tonos, which participated in Rotterdam; “Holy Beasts” by Israel Cardenas and Laura Amelia Guzman at Berlinale and the directing couple’s “La Hembrita,” which screened at Rotterdam. Pablo Chea’s” Croma Kid” went to BFI London and Rotterdam while “Ramona” by Victoria Linares screened at Berlinale and BFI London.
The country’s competitive tax incentives, a transferable tax credit equivalent to 25% of all qualified expenses incurred in the Dominican Republic and an 18% VAT exemption on goods and services, have lured several high-profile projects, the bulk of them from the U.S.
“About 85% of the projects that shoot here are from the U.S., then about 10% are from the U..K while 5% is a combination of other places,” said Martinez, who noted that the number of international projects shooting in DR has picked up since the slowdown caused by Hollywood’s twin strikes in 2023.
Founded in 2014, the Lantica Studios’ facility features 53,800 square feet of soundstage space, complemented by 161,460 square feet of associated production support facilities. Additionally, it houses an eight-acre water effects facility that includes the 246 ft x 246 ft exterior water tank with natural ocean horizons, blue screen capabilities as well as a fully equipped diving and marine department.
The expansion of both international and local production has increased the availability of skilled crew members in the Dominican Republic, trained either through hands-on experience or frequent workshops. “We’ve grown from hiring locals at an average rate of 400-500 a year to 2,000 a year,” said Martinez.
According to Martinez, the studio facility, when launched, was the first of its kind in the entire Caribbean and Central American region. Since then, the audiovisual ecosystem in the Dominican Republic and across Latin America has flourished, growing so rapidly that demand sometimes exceeds the capacity of its current infrastructure.
Lantica Studios has the capacity to simultaneously host three to four productions and has averaged 12 to 14 a year, Martinez told Variety.
A list of some of the projects that were shot at Lantica Studios and on location in recent years:
“HOTEL COCAINE” (TV Series)
Director/Showrunner: Chris Brancato
Cast: Danny Pino, Michael Chiklis.
Studio: MGM
“A THOUSAND BLOWS” (TV Series)
Director/Showrunner: Stephen Knight
Cast: Stephen Graham
Studio: DISNEY +
“THE EXORCIST” (Feature)
Director: David Gordon Green
Cast: Leslie Odom Jr.
Studio: UNIVERSAL
“THREE LITTLE BIRDS” (TV Mini Series)
Director/Showrunner: Lenny Henry
Cast: Rochelle Neil
Studio: ITV
“SOMETHING IN THE WATER” (Feature)
Director: Hayley Street
Cast: Lauren Lyle
Studio: STUDIO CANAL
“ROAD HOUSE” (Feature)
Director: Doug Liman
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Conor McGregor.
Studio: MGM
“THE RESORT” (TV Series)
Director/Showrunner: Andy Siara
Cast: Skyler Gisondo
Studio: NBC UNIVERSAL
“THE BEST MAN” (TV Series)
Director/Showrunner: Malcolm D. Lee
Cast: Taye Diggs, Terence Howard
Studio: NBC UNIVERSAL
“SAINT X” (TV Series)
Director: Dee Rees
Cast: Alycia Debnam-Carey
Studio: DISNEY/HULU
“NYAD” (Feature)
Director: Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chi
Cast: Annette Bening, Jodie Foster
Studio: NETFLIX
“ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK” (TV Series)
Director: JT Billings
Cast: Ryan Beil
Studio: NICKELODEON
“THE LOST CITY” (Feature)
Director: Aaron and Adam Nee
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Brad Pitt
Studio: PARAMOUNT
“THE KILLER” (Feature)
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Michael Fassbender
Studio: NETFLIX
“SURINAME” (TV Series)
Director: Jong-bin Yoon
Cast: Ha Jung-woo
Studio: NETFLIX
“BOUNDLESS” (TV Mini Series)
Director: Simon West
Cast: Rodrigo Santoro
Studio: AMAZON
“OLD” (Feature)
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Cast: Gael García Bernal
Studio: UNIVERSAL
“ARTHUR THE KING” (Feature)
Director: Simon Cellan Jones
Cast: Mark Wahlberg
Studio: EOne
“SHOTGUN WEDDING” (Feature)
Director: Jason Moore
Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel
Studio: LIONSGATE
