Kristal Sotomayor

TABLE SESSIONS:

APRIL 29 - 30, 2026 • Bartram’s Garden

live music • MARIPOSAS GALÁCTICAS

catering • CHEF CRISTINA MARTÍNEZ

Prime yourself for an ebullient evening with the boisterous sounds of the kumbia-klezmer-punk collective Mariposa Galácticas, whose music is inspired by their Ancestor’s shared roots in “radical joy.” Then sit forward for a screening of Kristal’s short film Expanding Sanctuary — the winner of the 2024 BlackStar Philadelphia Filmmaker Award — which flips the script on the current moment by telling the story of an immigrant mother’s triumphant fight for safety for Philly families. And, of course, leave filled not only with joy, but with a delicious dinner by the James Beard Award-winning Chef Cristina Martínez of South Philly Barbacoa.

Kristal Sotomayor

At a time when immigrant voices and stories are increasingly censored, erased, or misrepresented, this gathering is an intentional act of visibility and resistance. Table Sessions is about creating space, not only to witness stories, but to experience them collectively through culture, community, and care. Each element of the evening reflects the power of storytelling across mediums: from the delicious cuisine prepared by Chef Cristina Martinez, to the vibrant sounds of Mariposas Galácticas, whose music uplifts social justice movements, to the screening of Expanding Sanctuary, which documents a community’s fight for dignity and protection.

This program is rooted in the belief that storytelling can be a form of organizing, healing, and transformation. My hope is that audiences leave not only moved by the stories shared, but also inspired to reflect on their own role in building more just and compassionate communities.

— Kristal Sotomayor

artist note

Support Tonight’s Artists

Get connected with the artists behind tonight’s flavors, sights, and sounds.

Watch other stories of community & resilience

from Sotomayor Productions

Purchase Asi Se Goza con Las Mariposas
from Mariposas Galácticas’ Bandcamp

Enjoy more of Chef Cristina’s culinary mastery through her other restaurants and dining experiences.

Make tortillas and experience

Chef Cristina’s culinary wisdom

first-hand by booking an

intimate dining experience.

Visit South Philly Barbacoa and

watch the restaurant’s feature

on Netflix’s Chef’s Table.

Visit CASA MEXICO in the

heart of South Philly.

artists and featured guests

• artists and featured guests •

Kristal Sotomayor

Event Curator / Filmmaker
Kristal Sotomayor is an award-winning nonbinary Peruvian American director, producer, journalist and curator based in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Named one of “10 Latinx Filmmakers You Should Know About” by HipLatina, they are a 2023 DOC NYC Documentary New Leader Honoree and Rockwood Documentary Leadership Fellow. Their college thesis film To My Motherland streamed on Comcast Xfinity On Demand. Kristal’s short Latinx immigrant rights documentary Expanding Sanctuary won the Philadelphia Filmmaker Award at the 2024 BlackStar Film Festival and is distributed through OTV, Kanopy, and New Day Films. Their short experimental documentary Don’t Cry For Me All You Drag Queens won Best LGBTQ Documentary at the 2025 Poppy Jasper International Film Festival. Kristal’s debut narrative short film Las Cosas Que Brillan is a coming of age story about a Trans Latina mermaid and produced with support from BlackStar. They are in development on their debut feature documentary Untitled PARS Project about surveillance of immigrant communities, produced with support from the Sundance Film Institute. Kristal’s work has also been supported by the Outfest, If/Then, Points North Institute, MDOCS, DCTV, and NeXtDoc.
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.
Learn more about Sotomayor Productions at https://www.sotomayorproductions.com
Las Mariposas Galácticas

Musical Artist
Las Mariposas Galácticas is a 8-piece Cumbia-Klezmer-Punk band based in Philadelphia. Drawing on the members’ South American and Jewish roots, the band creates a unique diasporic sound that gets audiences dancing with rebellious joy. Honoring their Indigenous Andean musical ancestries and blending it with punkified ancient Jewish melodies, they perform a mix of original compositions and classic tunes that span languages, cultures, and genres. Las Mariposas have toured the East Coast and collaborated with international acts such as the legendary Argentinian Tropi-punk band Kumbia Queers and the renowned Indigenous Mexican rock band Los Cogelones. They’ve headlined the L.A.T.I.N. PunkFest in both Philadelphia and New York City, and continue to support their communities’ struggles for liberation—from prominent stages to cultural, activist, and grassroots community spaces.
BAND MEMBERS
María Paz Ordoñez | Lead Vocals + Guitar
Cara Tratner | Vocals + Saxophone
Daniel Acevedo Alfaro | Bass
Gary Galapagos | Lead Guitar
Jonathan Sidharta-Leibovic | Accordion + vocals
Pelai | Drums
Ariel Goodman | Vocals + clarinet
Follow Las Mariposas Galácticas journey through sound and revolution by following them on Instagram.
Linda Hernandez

Star of “Expanding Sanctuary” and Speaker

Linda Hernandez is a respected community leader, immigrant rights advocate, and holistic wellness practitioner based in Philadelphia. Through her organizing work with Juntos, Linda plays a vital role in empowering Latinx immigrant communities, supporting families, and fighting for policies that uphold dignity, safety, and justice. Her leadership and activism are featured in the award-winning short documentary Expanding Sanctuary, which documents her courageous organizing efforts.
In addition to her organizing work, Linda is a holistic and wellness practitioner and the founder of Amethyst Holistic Therapy and Shop, her Philadelphia-based practice dedicated to healing, empowerment, and emotional well-being. She leads bilingual childhood healing and inner child workshops across the city, creating accessible spaces for women, survivors, and immigrant communities to reconnect with their stories, strengthen their intuition, and reclaim their power.
Whether she is advocating for immigrant rights, supporting women through transformative healing practices, or showing up for her community, Linda embodies care, courage, and resilience. Her work bridges activism and healing, reminding us that personal and collective transformation go hand in hand.
Cristina Martínez

Catering
Cristina Martínez is a Mexican-born chef and undocumented in the United States since 2009. Raised by barbacoa masters, she has dedicated the better part of 40 years to mastering her singular tradition. Fleeing violence in Mexico, she came to live in the USA and worked as a dishwasher, prep cook, and pastry chef, eventually losing her position due to her undocumented status. She pivoted to cooking barbacoa out of their apartment, eventually moving to a food cart, and onto a brick and mortar and becoming an activist for undocumented workers' rights along the way.
She has been featured on Netflix's "Chef's Table", and was awarded the prestigious 2022 James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic Region; although the most important recognition in here eyes are families who travel to eat her barbacoa in the heart of south Philly every weekend. In addition to South Philly Barbacoa, she owns and operates Casa Mexico, focusing on guisados and family style dishes, and the People's Kitchen at El Compadre, which has served 100,000 free meals in the last year and employs a rotating crew of chefs, students, and volunteers from the community.
Learn more about Chef Cristina’s work and mission by visiting her website: https://chefcristinamartinez.com/en/
Miguel Andrade

Speaker + “Expanding Sanctuary” Cast Member
Miguel Andrade is a Philadelphia-based narrative researcher and strategist with over a decade of experience in grassroots power-building. From leading communications at Juntos during the Expanding Sanctuary project to his current role as a Narrative Director for a statewide advocacy coalition, Miguel focuses on shifting narrative infrastructure to support immigrant rights and labor movements. His work prioritizes building narrative power that is community-led and designed for the long haul.
Rick Rein

Sound Engineer
Rick Rein is a sound engineer, musician, and educator based in Philadelphia, PA. He has recorded, mixed, and mastered albums and theatrical productions but primarily works in music venues. He holds a bachelor’s degree in trumpet performance and performs regularly as a multi-instrumentalist. He was also an adjunct professor at the University of the Arts until quite recently.