Sotomayor Productions

Sotomayor Productions Sotomayor Productions is an award-winning media production company rooted in community storytelling, based in Philadelphia & Pittsburgh.

www.sotomayorproductions.com

08/29/2026

Born and raised in East LA, Las Cafeteras are a sonic explosion of afro-Mexican rhythms, electronic beats and powerful rhymes that document stories of a community seeking to build a world where many world fit. Beginning in 2005 (and playing together for over 20 years!), their music fuses spoken word, pop, and folk music, with traditional son jarocho and zapateado dancing.

Having grown up with undocumented family members and raised in the States, the bandmates describe themselves as neither from here (the U.S.) or there (Mexico), existing between realms, with one foot in each place. They speak Spanglish, they eat fusion cuisine, and this blend of cultures permeates down to the spirit of their music.

For the past several years, Sotomayor Productions has been documenting the band both on and off stage. This project, a documentary film, is a portrait of immigrant families, political organizing, and the power music has to bring people together.

To learn more about how you can support, visit the link in our bio!

08/28/2026

POV: On tour with Chicano band Las Cafeteras!

I'm Kristal Sotomayor, filmmaker and founder of Sotomayor Productions. For my latest film, I spent time with east-LA band Las Cafeteras on their nationwide tour, filming their performance in Tucson, Arizona.

For the past several years, Sotomayor Productions has been documenting the band both on and off stage. We’ve followed them through concerts and touring, into their homes and family lives, and alongside their work as artists and organizers.

This project is a portrait of immigrant families and the power music has to bring people together. If you wanna learn more about how to support, visit the link in our bio!

Follow for updates as we bring this indie film to life.

LAS COSAS QUE BRILLAN is coming to Ohio as part of 2026 Cinema Columbus Film Festival! ⁠⁠Cinema Columbus celebrates the ...
08/28/2026

LAS COSAS QUE BRILLAN is coming to Ohio as part of 2026 Cinema Columbus Film Festival! ⁠
⁠
Cinema Columbus celebrates the diverse people and stories brought to life by independent filmmakers, sparking curiosity, conversation, and understanding through independent film.⁠
⁠
The film will screening on Friday, September 11th at 6:30 PM at the Gateway Film Center. Get your tickets here: https://cinemacolumbus.eventive.org/films/6a593aa8cc77480a15a7e173
⁠
-⁠
The BlackStar Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab is presented with support from Independence Public Media Foundation, William Penn Foundation, and Wyncote Foundation.

Sotomayor Productions celebrated our three-year anniversary the best way we know how: with Philly’s incredible indie fil...
08/26/2026

Sotomayor Productions celebrated our three-year anniversary the best way we know how: with Philly’s incredible indie filmmaking community 🎬🍻⁠
⁠
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Sips & Stories! We were generously supported by Bar Hygge, Evil Genius Beer, Urban Village Brewery, City Winery, and United We Heal. A huge shoutout to Big Picture Alliance for celebrating alongside us, and to all the creatives and partners who made the afternoon so special.⁠
⁠
Here’s to the stories still waiting to be told, and the people who make them possible. ❤️⁠
⁠
If you couldn't make it out, the fundraiser for our upcoming Las Cafeteras film is still up and running. Learn more about our latest project and how we're getting to the finish line here: https://givebutter.com/c/Las-Cafeteras-Documentary
⁠

08/25/2026

Gearing up for the 2024 U.S. presidential elections, East L.A.-based Las Cafeteras bandmates Denise Carlos and Hector Flores balance their Undocumented parent’s expectations for financial security while advocating for immigrant rights and social justice.

Our upcoming documentary film weaves between life with their undocumented Mexican family and their organizing work ahead of the election which changes the country’s political landscape forever. Through intimate cinematography, we follow Denise and Hector through their homes, live performances, and on-the-streets voter rights rallies.

Learn more about how you can help support the film at the link in our bio.

About us: Sotomayor Productions is a q***r, Latinx-led production company creating award-winning films that build power for underrepresented 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.⁠

Support immigrant stories. Support q***r BIPOC-owned studios. Follow us for updates and more film content on your feed!

08/20/2026

How do you bring an indie film to life? Many people might think studio deals or Hollywood backing are the keys to a successful campaign, but plenty of award-winning filmmakers throughout the years have proven otherwise!

Here are some of the ways we're campaigning for our latest documentary:

💃🏾 Hosting local community gatherings, mixers, and screenings

💸 Crowdfunding, or gathering small amounts from a large pool of donors

📲 Engaging audiences online with high quality content

🗣️ Spreading the word locally, digitally, and through friends

Supporting indie filmmakers and studios like us can be as easy as bookmarking or sharing this video with a group. Give us a follow for more tips and new content on your feed!

08/20/2026

A band formed by children of Mexican immigrants from East LA, the diaspora-crafted son jarocho rhythms of Las Cafeteras have captivated audiences across America for nearly 20 years. Their music is a sonic explosion of afro-Mexican rhythms, electronic beats and powerful rhymes that document stories of a community seeking to build a world where many world fit.

Enter Sotomayor Productions - a q***r, Latinx-led production company creating award-winning films that build power for underrepresented communities.

For the past several years, Sotomayor Productions has been documenting Las Cafeteras on and off-stage, capturing intimate moments of family life, touring, grassroots organizing, and the labor behind activist art in America.

Now, we need your help to finish it and bring it to our community.

Starting in August and throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re raising funds to help us bring this film to completion. We can't do it without the support of viewers like you - any amount helps!

Your support will allow us to:

🎥 Complete the shoot, editing and post-production
🤝 Pay our collaborators fairly
♿️ Create subtitles and other accessibility materials
📚️ Launch community screenings and educational programming
🚌 Bring the film to schools, festivals, and grassroots spaces

Check out the link in our bio to learn more!

08/19/2026

“Not everyone wants to talk about politics, so we use our music as a tool to start conversations and advocate for change.”

Born and raised in East LA, Las Cafeteras are a sonic explosion of afro-Mexican rhythms, electronic beats and rhymes that document stories of a community seeking to build a better world.

The band started out as students of the Eastside Café, a community space in Los Angeles, California where they took son jarocho classes. Influenced by music from Veracruz, Mexico, they started formally playing in 2005. Since then, Las Cafeteras have taken the music scene by storm with their inspiring live performances and have crossed many genres and borders along the way.

Sotomayor Productions is making a documentary about the band, their artistry, and their activism. To learn more about the project and how to support, click the link in our bio!

San Francisco! LAS COSAS QUE BRILLAN is having its Bay Area premiere at the San Francisco Q***r Film Festival 2026! 🌴⁠⁠A...
08/18/2026

San Francisco! LAS COSAS QUE BRILLAN is having its Bay Area premiere at the San Francisco Q***r Film Festival 2026! 🌴⁠
⁠
About the film: ⁠A curious trans mermaid defies her mother’s warnings to venture up to the surface, only to discover the world above is not what she dreamt.⁠ Las Cosas Que Brillan explores the impacts of environmental destruction, and the danger of being desired in a postcolonial world.⁠
⁠
This year's SF Q***r Film Fest brings together a bold and wide ranging collection of stories about who we are, where we've been, and where we're going. From q***r history, trans resilience, and le***an activism, to love, sexuality, aging, immigration, chosen family and imagined futures, these films celebrate the full complexity of LGBTQ+ life. ⁠
⁠
The short film will screen at the Big Roxie on August 23rd at 12:15 PM.

-
The BlackStar Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab is presented with support from Independence Public Media Foundation, William Penn Foundation, and Wyncote Foundation.

Learn more here: https://www.sfq***rfilmfest.com/day3
⁠
***r

08/14/2026

Your presence makes a difference ❤️‍🩹

Hi. We're Sotomayor Productions, a Latino-owned and operated film production company making documentaries about our diverse immigrant communities in America fighting for change.

Starting now and throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re raising funds to finish our new documentary, LAS CAFETERAS, following the beloved East LA band of the same name. Las Cafeteras are artists, organizers, and cultural workers using music to imagine a better future.

This film is a portrait of immigrant families, political organizing, and the power music has to bring people together. Now, we need your help to finish it and bring it to our community.

Learn more about the fundraiser at the link in Sotomayor Productions bio! Can't donate? Simply sharing this on your story, in a groupchat, or in DMs also helps us more than you think. Support immigrant stories. Support BIPOC-owned studios. Follow us for updates and more film content on your feed!

Address

Philadelphia, PA

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Sotomayor Productions posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category