About Us
Sotomayor Productions is a Philadelphia and Pittsburgh-based media production company dedicated to justice-driven storytelling that uplifts Latinx, immigrant, queer, and trans communities. We work at the intersection of documentary filmmaking, investigative journalism, and community media to challenge extractive narratives and reimagine who gets to tell the story.
Instead of parachuting into communities for sensationalized content, we collaborate deeply—over months and years—to co-create films rooted in trust, transparency, and care. Our projects center the lived experiences and leadership of those most impacted, with the goal of shifting power and amplifying solutions.
In addition to producing award-winning films, we partner with nonprofits, educators, and cultural institutions to design impact campaigns, facilitate workshops, and host community screenings. As we grow, we’re investing in long-term sustainability through memberships, business sponsorships, and strategic partnerships that ensure our work remains independent and accountable to the communities we serve.
Our Mission
Sotomayor Productions is a queer, Latinx-led production company, fiscally sponsored by CultureTrust Greater Philadelphia, dedicated to creating justice-driven films and impact campaigns that amplify immigrant, queer, and underrepresented communities.
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.
Support Our Work
At Sotomayor Productions, we’re committed to building a sustainable, community-rooted production company that tells the stories mainstream media often ignores. But we can’t do it alone.
Your support helps us fund new films, pay our team equitably, and bring powerful stories into classrooms, community spaces, and cultural institutions across the country. Whether it’s a one-time gift or a recurring membership, every contribution fuels independent filmmaking for collective liberation.
Got airline miles or hotel points you’d like to contribute? Reach out to us at info@sotomayorproductions.com to learn more about in-kind support.
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. 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 Sundance Institute’s Cultural Impact Residency, If/Then North Shorts Residency, BlackStar Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab, 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 (Oscar qualifying festival), 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 served 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.
Meet the Team
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Maya Winneg
IMPACT PRODUCER, MOSAIC TOUR
Maya Winneg is a filmmaker and producer based in Philadelphia. Their work, be it personal, public access or in support of important projects like Expanding Sanctuary is fueled by their keen interest in the people in their life and community. Recurrent themes include family threads or coping with existential dread, often through a surreal and joyful lens.
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Charlie Manrique Douglas
INTERN
Charlie is a Film and Television major with a minor in African American and Black Diaspora Studies at Boston University, specializing in cinematography and camera operation. They hope to mix breathtaking visuals with a focus on social issues such as racism and LGBTQ+ inequality in their future work. They are passionate about uplifting underrepresented communities through visual media, especially film, in order to amplify empathy and education while stimulating social change.
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Emma Smola
INTERN
Emma Smola is a student at Emmanuel College in Boston and is studying English and Art History, with a minor in Transcultural Studies. Emma is passionate about the narratives often overlooked in the history of art, and as an aspiring professor, wants to shed light on these stories through her work. Emma hopes to build upon her interest in archival research through this internship at Sotomayor Productions, and is excited to be a part of a team who shares her philosophy.
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Mariam Elias-Danjuma
INTERN
Mariam Elias-Danjuma is a Nigerian-American filmmaker, producer, and artist. She is the co-founder of Team Green Productions, a production company that focuses on centering the experiences and stories of Black women. Mariam has worked alongside organizations in her home state of Minnesota, including Twin Cities PBS, SoulTouch Productions, and Speak MPLS. Now in Philadelphia, she is studying at the Klein College of Media & Communication at Temple University, while pursuing studies in Communication, as well as Public Policy, continuing her journey in media and pushing for advocacy and representation of her community within the arts and law.