Arts & Culture, Cultural Criticism Kristal Sotomayor Arts & Culture, Cultural Criticism Kristal Sotomayor

TIFF 2020 | One Night in Miami

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.

Read More
Arts & Culture, Cultural Criticism Kristal Sotomayor Arts & Culture, Cultural Criticism Kristal Sotomayor

The Top Six Films From TIFF

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.

Read More
Arts & Culture, Cultural Criticism Presente Media Arts & Culture, Cultural Criticism Presente Media

TIFF 2020 | The Boy from Medellín

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."

Read More
Arts & Culture, Cultural Criticism Kristal Sotomayor Arts & Culture, Cultural Criticism Kristal Sotomayor

TIFF 2020 | Enemies of the State

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).

Read More
Arts & Culture, Cultural Criticism Kristal Sotomayor Arts & Culture, Cultural Criticism Kristal Sotomayor

A Letter From TIFF 2020

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.

Read More

Las artes en Filadelfia no son ‘restauradas’

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).

Read More

¡Acción de Arte de Emergencia para financiar futuros Afro Descendientes!

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.”

Read More

Emergency Art Action to Fund Black Futures!

BY MELISSA BEATRIZ ON JUNE 20, 2020

On June 16, the Artist Coalition for a Just Philadelphia hosted the Emergency Art Action to Fund Black Futures! on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The action’s goal was to “use the power of artistic expression in the form of music, dance and visual art to demand a city budget that funds black futures by Defunding the Police and Saving the Philadelphia Cultural Fund.”

Read More

The Arts in Philadelphia Are Not ‘Restored’

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.

Read More
Arts & Culture, Community Stories Presente Media Arts & Culture, Community Stories Presente Media

Coronavirus: Why Philly needs an artist relief fund

BY MELISSA BEATRIZ ON MARCH 23, 2020 | PUBLISHER: WHYY

I’m a Uruguayan-American documentary filmmaker whose current production has been suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak. As a freelancer, this health crisis has jeopardized my ability to work on creative projects. And the same is true for my husband, a musician and teaching artist whose work has been cancelled for the foreseeable future.

Read More

Baobab Flowers

DIRECTED AND PRODUCED BY GABRIELA WATSON-BURKETT

CREATIVE PRODUCED BY MELISSA BEATRIZ

Baobab Flowers (Documentary, 40 min, Brazil/USA) is a personal documentary that blends poetic and observational footage following the journey of two high school teachers: Storm Foreman (Nyanza Bandele) in Philadelphia, United States, and Priscila Dias in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The Director, Gabriela Watson-Burkett, immerses herself in a journey to make the connections between communities of the African Diaspora.

Read More