Kristal Sotomayor

BY  GABRIELA WATSON-BURKETT, MELISSA BEATRIZ AND KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON AUGUST 18, 2023

¡Presente! Media is celebrating 3 years of producing media for social justice. In the last 3 years we have dedicated ourselves to community-centered journalism, celebrating Latine culture, and telling stories from the perspective of Black and Brown voices.

BY LAURA ANAYA-MORGA AND KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON JUNE 17, 2021

After years of dispute the case now awaits the Supreme Court decision. The main question is whether or not the government violates religious agencies First Amendment rights by requiring them to consider same-sex couples applications to become foster parents. This is the rundown of how Fulton v. City of Philadelphia got here and what its outcome could mean.

BY LAURA ANAYA-MORGA & KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON MAY 20, 2021

40 Years a Prisoner, from filmmaker Tommy Oliver, lays out the story of Mike Africa Jr., a man who spent his entire life fighting to free his parents, members of the MOVE Organization, from prison.

BY LAURA ANAYA-MORGA & KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON MAY 13, 2021

Mike Africa Jr. spent most of his life fighting to free his parents from prison. Both were incarcerated and convicted as members of the MOVE 9. The HBO Documentary, 40 Years a Prisoner, outlines the stark similarities between policing in Philadelphia today compared to the 1970’s.

BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON NOVEMBER 5, 2020

The Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival (PAAFF) is one of the city's premiere destinations for films and storytelling from the Asian diaspora. With over 80 films to watch at PAAFF, we are sharing three films from the program that are available to audiences in the United States and Canada.

BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON OCTOBER 15, 2020

Treecup Tea founder Mark Sotomayor sets out to address the need for environmentally sustainable business practices. The tea company plants a tree in Haiti for each bottle sold to address the issue of deforestation, hence their motto “buy a tea, plant a tree.”

BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON OCTOBER 13, 2020

This Hispanic Heritage Month, a selection of ten films from the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival (PHLAFF) are available on Xfinity On Demand Latino destination on X1 until October 15.

BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR AND NADINE PATTERSON ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

In Regina King’s directorial debut of One Night in Miami, she re-imagines a fictional friendship between Cassius Clay, Malcolm X, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke. Set in a Miami hotel room in February 1964, the four protagonists meet up to celebrate Clay’s “Heavyweight Championship of the World” win.

BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PUBLISHER: cinéSPEAK

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is the largest publicly attended film festival in the world, and one of the most internationally recognized festivals. With the spread of the pandemic, film festivals globally have shifted to virtual screenings and socially-distanced, in-person screenings. The 45th edition of TIFF combines both online and in-person events to keep the spirit of the festival alive.

BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

A Suitable Boy directed by Mira Nair is set in 1950s India after the country’s independence, transition to democracy, and the partition of India and Pakistan. The miniseries follows university student Lata Mehra, portrayed by Tanya Maniktala.

BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

J Balvin is one of best-selling Latin music artists in the globe. He was the most streamed artist worldwide on Spotify in 2018. He was the first reggaetonero to perform on Saturday Night Live. Singing primarily in Spanish, J Balvin has been able to cross over to non-Spanish speaking markets which is a huge feat for Latin American artists, gaining him the title "Prince of Reggaeton."

BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2020

Sonia Kennebeck is a Malaysian independent documentary filmmaker and investigative journalist with over 15 years of experience. Enemies of the State, combines Kennebeck's investigative reporting background with a cinematic visual style reminiscent of that of executive producer Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line).

BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

My name is Kristal Sotomayor and I am co-founder of ¡Presente! Media. I am a filmmaker, festival programmer, and film critic. This year, I will be covering the online edition of the 45th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) running from September 10 to 19, 2020. As part of my coverage, I aim to be a representative of Philadelphia during the online film festival.

BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON JUNE 20, 2020

En las últimas semanas, los residentes de Filadelfia han estado protestando contra la brutalidad policial y el final de importantes programas culturales y artísticos. Entre los temas principales se encuentran los recortes en el presupuesto propuestos para 2021 por el alcalde Jim Kenney. Estos cortes eliminan el Fondo Cultural de Filadelfia (PCF) y la Oficina de Artes, Cultura y Economía Creativa (OACCE).

BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR ON JUNE 19, 2020

Over the past few weeks, Philadelphians have been protesting police brutality and the end of dire cultural and arts programs. Among the main issues are Mayor Jim Kenney’s proposed 2021 budget cuts that eliminate the Philadelphia Cultural Fund (PCF) and the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE). This same budget allocates an additional $19 million for the Philadelphia Police Department.