Kristal Sotomayor is a bilingual Latinx documentary filmmaker, journalist, and curator based in Philadelphia.
FILMS
RELEASED 2017
To My Motherland
In Production
Expanding Sanctuary
In Development
Alx Through the Labyrinth
EXPERTISE
Filmmaker
Kristal has been named one of “10 Latinx Filmmakers You Should Know About” by HipLatina. They have been distinguished as a 2023 DOC NYC Documentary New Leader and received the prestigious Rockwood Documentary Leadership Fellowship. Their work has been supported by the If/Then North Shorts Residency, MDOCS Storytellers’ Institute Visiting Fellowship, DCTV Docu Work-In-Progress Lab, Justice For My Sister Sci-Fi TV Screenwriting Lab, and NeXtDoc Fellowship.
Programmer & Curator
Kristal has served as a curator for acclaimed film festivals across the country including SFFILM, True/False Film Fest, Frameline, Tri-Co Film Festival and were Programming Director of the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival (PHLAFF). Formerly, they served as the Awards Competition Manager for the IDA Documentary Awards. They have assisted with curation for the “Spotlight on Documentaries” at IFP Week and the award-winning PBS documentary series POV | American Documentary.
Journalist & Film Critic
Kristal is the Editor in Chief of the cinéSPEAK Journal and Co-Founder/Journalist of ¡Presente! Media. They have written for ITVS, AL DÍA, WHYY, Autostraddle, Modern Brown Girl and Documentary Magazine. Kristal’s writing has been supported by the Sundance Press Inclusion Initiative, TIFF Media Inclusion Initiative, Documentary Magazine Editorial Fellowship, NBC University Visual Storytelling During Breaking News Program, and Lenfest Constellation News Leadership Initiative.
Community Media
Drawing inspiration from their Peruvian heritage, Kristal’s community-based work practice focuses on Latinidad, immigration, and belonging. Formerly, Kristal was the Communications and Outreach Coordinator at the community media arts organization Scribe Video Center. They have received leadership training from the Rockwood Documentary Leaders Fellowship, NALAC Advocacy Leadership Institute and the Arts + Business Council [Virtual] Creative Exchange Program.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
“Although this event was virtual, Kristal was an engaging participant with honest and poignant responses. We look forward to being able to host Kristal Sotomayor again at the University of Pennsylvania.”
– Akira Drake Rodriguez, Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania
“Kristal led an impactful hour-long discussion, responding to students’ questions around form, process, and ethics in their film, Expanding Sanctuary, and lending critical insight to building a career as an artist.”
– Drew Swedberg, Teaching Assistant for the Doc Storymaking program at Muhlenberg College
VIDEO PRODUCTION
News
WRITING
Rita Moreno Off-Screen: An Interview with the Puerto Rican Women Behind the Intimate Documentary – cinéSPEAK
The American Masters documentary Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It, directed by Mariem Pérez Riera,paints a detailed picture of icon Rita Moreno’s background, challenges and successes. Read More
Philadelphia Has a Long History of Fights Over Criminal – Independent Lens
In order to understand the rich history of criminal reform work, up through the vivid stories of crime and punishment presented in the docuseries Philly D.A., it is important to recognize Philadelphia’s origin story, as it were. Read More
Sundance and TIFF Press Inclusion Initiatives: Reflections from an Awardee – Documentary Magazine
While I am thankful for the continued support, the Sundance Press Inclusion Initiative has proven to be a vital, albeit flawed, program for underrepresented film critics to cover the Sundance Film Festival. Read More
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Kristal Sotomayor 