The cinéSPEAK Journal has several exciting updates, starting with our two new Philly Cultural Critics Fellows. I am so excited to welcome Sophia Pradhan and David A. Gaines, who have been selected for the fourth cohort of journal fellows. This year was the most competitive so far: we received a record 71 applications for only two fellowship spots. Both fellows are bringing deep knowledge of Philly’s independent film scene, their own artistic practices, and enthusiasm to further develop their voices as cultural critics. They will write Philly Profiles, a column featuring in-depth profiles of local moving-image artists and cultural workers, and cover cinéSPEAK Under the Stars.
David A. Gaines was born in Philly and is an award-winning poet. They are also a filmmaker: they made their satirical short film The Freedom to Fall Apart as a BlackStar Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab Fellow. They are inspired by writers such as James Baldwin, bell hooks, and Hanif Abdurraqib to use their poetic sensibilities to write about contemporary local artists. David brings their thoughtfulness, artistry, and commitment to building relational networks to their writing.
Sophia Pradhan is a Malayali American artist and arts administrator. In her job at the Leeway Foundation, she supports local women and trans artists in accessing funding to complete unique artistic projects. She is a singer, classically trained in Carnatic singing and opera, and experiments with the form to put South Asian diasporic music in conversation with contemporary art in Philly. Sophia is bringing her commitment to imagining liberatory futures, experience with supporting Philly artists, and writing skills to the fellowship.
As we welcome David and Sophia, I also want to thank the 2025 Philly Cultural Critics Fellows, Maria “Nenet” Barrios and Caitlin Green, for all their work and contributions to cinéSPEAK. They piloted the Philly Profiles column, and did a fantastic job introducing creative and culture-changing local artists to broader audiences. Highlights include Caitlin’s feature on Lily Xie using animation to build solidarity economies and Nenet’s coverage of local Black film legend Michael Dennis. Make sure to read all of their profiles if you haven’t yet!
Another notable change at the journal is the staff! Kristal Sotomayor, who was the Editor-in-Chief from 2022-2025, has moved into a new role at cinéSPEAK as Director of Marketing, Audience Engagement, & Community Partnerships. I (Sophia Abraham-Raveson) have shifted from my role as Managing Editor of the cinéSPEAK Journal (which I started in 2020) to Director of the cinéSPEAK Journal. I am now the sole staff member running the journal and all its associated programs. I appreciate all Kristal has done for the journal over the years (and all she continues to do on the marketing side of things!) Please join me as we enter this new chapter for the journal, and stay tuned for some incredible articles to come.
*Featured Image: Image of 2026 cinéSPEAK Journal Philly Cultural Critics Fellows David A. Gaines and Sophia Pradhan. Photo credit: cinéSPEAK.
Sophia Abraham-Raveson is the Managing Editor for the cinéSPEAK Journal. In addition to working at cinéSPEAK, Sophia is a licensed social worker in Pennsylvania, a volunteer with the restorative justice group Let’s Circle Up, and a musician and songwriter in her band Charm School Looks.
