Who We Are
Marángeli Mejía-Rabell
Festival Director & Chief Curator
Marángeli Mejía Rabell is a Puerto Rico-born, Philadelphia-based connector, cultural organizer & producer, arts & culture curator and programmer whose work is centered on co-creation, capacity building, leadership development ,cross sector collaborations,and honoring our roots as a tool for social change and community self actualization. Marángeli’s practice is focused on community media practices, cultural organizing, intersectionality, accessibility and diversity.
As Director of the Philadelphia Latino Arts & Film Festival (PHLAFF) and Co Founder/Partner of AFROTAINO and GUSTO she co-curates, designs and executes arts and culture programming, collaborations and multidisciplinary projects. She has served as the PHLAFF’s Festival Director for nine years supporting the groundbreaking work of Latinx filmmakers. Throughout Marángeli’s career, she has centered Latinx creators, stories and culture to bring about positive change and representation. Marángeli also serves as a Leadership Coach with the National Arts Strategies Coaching Collective. Current collaborations include serving as a member of the Painted Bride Arts Center’sProgramming Committee, University of Puerto Rico Cumbre Afro’s Cine Foro Curator, Curator & Project Manager for Mural Arts Philadelphia and as Anchor Partner/Producer of Kinfolk Philly as part of the Kinfolk Foundation’s National Tour.
Kirsten Senske
Senior Programmer
Kirsten Senske (she/her) is a multidisciplinary Latina artist and recent graduate of the Animation and Visual Effects program at Drexel University. She is also an alumnus of Drexel University’s dance ensemble (DDE). Presently, she is a digital designer, dancer, and choreographer interested in exploring dance film and creative endeavors within the local region. Her creative work is inspired and influenced by community, introspection, emerging media, and daily experience. When she is not immersed in creative projects, Kirsten enjoys spending time with her family and with nature.