18 Jan Letter from the Editor: New Year’s Resolutions!

BY KRISTAL SOTOMAYOR

This past year, the cinéSPEAK Journal worked to put together an editorial slate that reflects the key issues affecting our local community. We had a lot of exciting updates, including a new column and a new cohort of Philly Beat Fellows. We are so proud to see the Journal grow and evolve into a robust publication told by Philadelphians and for Philadelphians. As we step into the new year, we wanted to take some time to highlight some milestones of 2023 and hopes for 2024.

In 2023, the cinéSPEAK website received over 49 thousand views from 37 thousand users. The cinéSPEAK Journal is the most viewed section of the organization’s website–with over 20 thousand views in the past year–making up about 42% of the overall website viewership and user engagement.

Keeping with our mission, in 2023 we worked with 14 writers from diverse backgrounds. Of the writers, 50% identified as LGBTQIA+ and were women and/or nonbinary. 78% of writers were BIPOC. We are so glad to be supporting writers from underrepresented backgrounds to tell the stories that are important to our community.

This year, we aim to continue this work by compensating talented local writers to report on key issues and events in Philadelphia’s independent film world. We hope that our readers continue to support us in the new year by donating to our $10k for 10 Years fundraising campaign (we’re 60% to our goal!). The funds will support cinéSPEAK’s general operations and programs from the Journal such as the Philly Beat Fellowship, a paid learning opportunity geared towards Philadelphia-based cultural critics and journalists.

The Philly Beat Fellowship’s newest cohort includes Ireashia Bennett covering the Philadelphia Artist Spotlight and Erick Barragán Ramírez covering the Philadelphia Organization Spotlight. This past year, over 87% of artists featured in our Artist Spotlights were Black artists from across the city. Bennett interviewed director/dancer Les Rivera, behind-the-scenes set photographer Mochi Robinson, and director/writer Tommy Butler. Barragán Ramírez was able to spotlight BIPOC and women-led organizations like Julia de Burgos Bookstore at Taller Puertorriqueño and NO EVIL EYE CINEMA.

We started a new column written by Gabe Castro called “Reel Impact: From Screens to Streets” that explores contemporary film through conversations with Philadelphia-area community members and organizers. The column is supported by the Bread & Roses Community Fund. 

“Reel Impact” has explored issues such as the gentrification of Hao Bin Plaza and Chinatown, where Castro spoke directly with the VietLead and No Arena In Chinatown organizers and artists. The latest article in the column highlights gun violence in Philadelphia and how Amistad Law Project and the new podcast I Know Your Name use art to empower impacted communities. We are so proud to continue working with former Philly Beat Fellow Gabe Castro to tell important community stories.

By donating to our $10k for 10 Years fundraising campaign, you can help support the cinéSPEAK Journal and our film programming. Our “Under the Stars” program at Clark Park and Bartram’s Garden brings award-winning films to community spaces and provides an opportunity for conversation with neighbors. Our “Reel Impact” column was inspired by “Under the Stars”; we wanted to put many of the neighborhood conversations about films and the issues that they spark on paper. This year, we are also working on the construction of our new brick-and-mortar cinema space. The cinema would be one of few full-service indie movie theaters in the city. Help cinéSPEAK ring in the new year by reading our latest articles and making a donation today!

*Featured Image: Image of cinéSPEAK staff. Image credit: Naomieh Jovin.

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 SFFILM and Frameline.