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 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 MELISSA BEATRIZ ON JUNE 20, 2020

El 16 de junio, la Coalición de Artistas para una Filadelfia Justa, organizó la Acción de Arte de Emergencia para financiar los Futuros de Afro Descendientes en los escalones del Museo de Arte de Filadelfia. El objetivo de la acción era para "utilizar el poder de la expresión artística en forma de música, danza y artes visuales para exigir un presupuesto de la ciudad que financie los futuros Afro Descendientes, desfinancie la policía, y salvar el Fondo Cultural de Filadelfia.”

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.

SEGMENT PRODUCED, SHOT AND EDITED BY GABRIELA WATSON-BURKETT

PRODUCED FOR PHILLYCAM/ATRÉVETE

Production Assistants: Claudia Ceballos, Kat Garcia

This segment was part of PhillyCAM's show Atrévete.

PRODUCED BY GABRIELLA WATSON-BURKETT

PRODUCED FOR PHILLYCAM/ATRÉVETE

Producer Gabriela Watson-Burkett visited the northeast region of Philadelphia, where the Brazilian community is located. She interviewed Amabilis Silva, owner of Picanha Grill restaurant and Felipe Haubrich, CEO/Publisher of the magazine Alô Você.

CO-DIRECTED AND CO-EDITED BY MELISSA BEATRIZ

PRODUCED FOR MEDIA MOBILIZING PROJECT

Every day, Celia Mota’s only option is to drive without a license, risking deportation and separation from her family. When Celia’s brother-in-law was wrongfully arrested four years ago, she and her sister Alejandra Mota found hope and faith with New Sanctuary Movement. After winning a multi-year court battle to keep their family together, they decided to fight for other people in their situation. Now they are leading a campaign for driver’s licenses for all Pennsylvanians, regardless of immigration status.