02 May Letter from the Editor

BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR

Dear readers,

We’re very happy to have successfully implemented our cinéSPEAK Philly Beat Fellowship! The talented writers Gabe Castro, Arta Barzanji, and Andre Cherry have been working hard on their columns. Their work has allowed the cinéSPEAK Journal to consistently publish local content on a monthly basis. As we launch into the new year, it’s important to take time to review our successes from the past year and develop plans for improvement. 

This year, we aim to create a more robust journal editorial calendar to track our upcoming articles and workflow more effectively. In creating these sustainable internal processes, we hope to streamline communications with our writers, strengthen internal cross-departmental planning, and ensure we are building upon the mission and vision of the journal. We are also looking forward to revising our how-to pitch guide and opening the call for pitches as well as our Fellowship in May. In addition, later this year, we hope to launch a cinéSPEAK Journal specific newsletter.

As we work to open our call for pitches, we are looking for a few specific types of articles from writers. We are trying to hone in on local film festivals and events coverage centered on BIPOC or youth-oriented festivals and community moving image events in the city. A few examples of festivals we want covered include BlackStar, PAAFF, PHLAFF, and cinéSPEAK Under The Stars, to name a few. 

There will also be local interviews featuring Philadelphia-based moving image artists and organizers (filmmakers, curators, festival programmers, editors, animators, sound designers, etc.) showing at a big festival or having a major national/international moment.

We will also shift to media cultural critique, an opportunity for op-eds that connect global issues and films to the city of Philadelphia. This can include a story about how Turning Red connects to the local AAPI experience or how Candyman spotlights gentrification and its effects in Philly.

To continue centering local stories, we want to make room for local arts industry investigations such as news pieces, oftentimes featuring interviews, about the issues affecting the local Philly moving image industry. These articles can connect national arts industry issues to the local level. Some examples include Philly tax credits not reaching indie filmmakers, or national inflation affecting local arts organizations.

More information about pitches will be coming soon. We’re looking forward to publishing more stories with a local and film focus!

*Featured Image: Image of cinéSPEAK team end-of-the year get together. Courtesy of Kristal Sotomayor.

Do you have thoughts on the cinéSPEAK Journal? Let us know by emailing journal@cinespeak.org

Kristal Sotomayor is a bilingual Latinx freelance journalist, documentary filmmaker, and festival programmer based in Philadelphia. They serve as the Editor-In-Chief of the cinéSPEAK Journal and Programmer for True/False Film Fest, SFFILM, and Frameline.