About Us
Sotomayor Productions is a Philadelphia and Pittsburgh-based media production company that works at the intersection of investigative journalism and documentary filmmaking to advance the portrayals of underrepresented communities. Our company produces work that seeks to solve the problem of extractive news and journalism that parachutes into marginalized communities for a sensationalized, stereotypical story.
We work on projects that build connections, transparency, and equity through years of thoughtful collaboration and relationship building to tell a story that best serves communities to thrive. Sotomayor Productions also creates pathways for filmmakers in Latin America to sustainably produce important films for their communities. We support the co-production of social issue documentary films from the Caribbean and South and Central America.
Sotomayor Productions works to support documentary filmmakers and storytellers in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to bring their projects to the next level. We do this through thoughtful collaborations and partnerships to get film projects to completion and seen by audiences. We also co-produce films from the global south.
Our Mission
Our Values
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We value our connection to places that make us who we are and stand with our neighbors.
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We value accuracy with storytelling and thoughtfulness toward producing authentic portrayals.
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We value stories told by and with those who know their communities or subject matter best as experts in their own lived experiences.
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We value storytelling as a tool to mobilize for the change we want to see.
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We value that there are no monolithic stories or experiences and aim to bring complexity to long lasting stereotypes.
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We value the liberation of all people, the abolishment of all borders, and the dismantling of all systems of oppression.
Land Acknowledgement
Sotomayor Productions works to produce documentary films about and/or by filmmakers based in the occupied territory of Pennsylvania. We acknowledge that our work takes place on the sacred ancestral land of the Lenni-Lenape, Susquehannock, Shawnee, and Iroquois. We strive to ensure our work promotes liberation and sovereignty of the original inhabitants of occupied lands from Puerto Rico to Palestine.
Featured Press
Meet Our Founder
“ 10 Latinx Filmmakers You Should Know About ”
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2023 DOC NYC Documentary New Leader
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Rockwood Documentary Leadership Fellow
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Film Festival Alliance Film Festival Leadership Lab Fellow
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“ 10 Latinx Filmmakers You Should Know About ” – 2023 DOC NYC Documentary New Leader – Rockwood Documentary Leadership Fellow – Film Festival Alliance Film Festival Leadership Lab Fellow –
Kristal Sotomayor is a documentary filmmaker, journalist, and curator based in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Drawing inspiration from their Peruvian heritage, Kristal’s community-based work practice focuses on Latinidad, immigration, and belonging. They practice transformative filmmaking that humanizes and validates the lived experiences of underrepresented communities. To that end, Kristal founded the queer BIPOC-owned and operated media production company, Sotomayor Productions, which works at the intersection of investigative journalism and documentary filmmaking to advance the portrayals of Latinx and queer communities.
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Kristal has been named one of “10 Latinx Filmmakers You Should Know About” by HipLatina, a 2023 DOC NYC Documentary New Leader honoree, and received the prestigious Rockwood Documentary Leadership Fellowship. Kristal’s work has been supported by the If/Then North Shorts Residency, Outfest and Traverse32’s Creative Hope Incubator, MDOCS Storytellers’ Institute Visiting Fellowship, DCTV Docu Work-In-Progress Lab, Justice For My Sister Sci-Fi TV Screenwriting Lab, BAVC Serial Storytellers Lab, Scribe Video Center Film Scholars Fellowship, Good Pitch Local: Philadelphia Lab, and NeXtDoc Fellowship.
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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. Formerly, they served as the Awards Competition Manager for the IDA Documentary Awards, the world's most distinguished event dedicated exclusively to the documentary genre. They have assisted with curation for the "Spotlight on Documentaries" at IFP Week, Philadelphia Film Festival, and the award-winning PBS documentary series POV | American Documentary. They have been awarded the Film Festival Alliance Film Festival Leadership Lab Fellowship, NALAC Advocacy Leadership Institute, and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism Philadelphia Media Founders Exchange.
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They are also the Editor-in-Chief of the cinéSPEAK Journal and Co-Founder of ¡Presente! Media, a collective led by Latinx filmmakers that produces bilingual content focused on social justice. They serve on the Board of Director for GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics. Kristal’s journalistic background includes having written for ITVS, AL DÍA, WHYY, Autostraddle, Modern Brown Girl, and Documentary Magazine. Kristal’s writing has been supported by the Sundance Institute Press Inclusion Initiative, TIFF Media Inclusion Initiative, IDA Magazine Editorial Fellowship, NBC University Visual Storytelling During Breaking News Program, and Lenfest Constellation News Leadership Initiative. They are a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ Journalists, CherryPicks Approved Critic, and the TIME’S UP Critical Database.