Philly Rumba
About the Film
Philly Rumba features the interwoven histories of three elders who shaped rumba culture in Philadelphia through their experiences as Black percussionists, and the interconnected stories of African And Latin American diaspora cultural communities in the region.
Directos: Melissa Beatriz (Director) / Andrés Cisneros (Co-Directror)
Producer: Lila Yomtoob
United States // 2026 // Documentary // Los Shorts
25 minutes
About the Filmmaker
MELISSA BEATRIZ -
Melissa Beatriz is an Uruguayan American documentary filmmaker, cultural producer, and researcher whose work focuses on the intersection of social justice, media arts/culture, and policy. She is the Founder/Director of Actívate Stories, a media arts entity that produces collaborative documentaries, engages in cultural preservation, and develops creative strategies focused on art and social change.
Melissa Beatriz is a first time independent director, with two soon-to-be released short documentary films, La Lucha Sigue and Philly Rumba. She is a 2025 Leeway Media Artist + Activist in Residence at the People’s Budget Office, 2025 Flaherty Film Seminar Fellow, 2022 Al Día 40 Under 40 honoree, 2019 Leeway Transformation Awardee, and 2020 Fellow of the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) Leadership Institute. Her independent media work has been supported by Scribe Video Center, ARTisPHL, Lenfest Institute for Journalism, People’s Media Fund, Velocity Fund, Doc Society: Good Pitch Local Philadelphia, Leeway Foundation, Double Exposure Scholars program, and Sundance Institute’s New Frontier Philadelphia Day Lab.
ANDRÉS CISNEROS -
Andrés Daniel Cisneros Birnbaum is a Philadelphia-based musician, composer, hand drummer, vocalist, and educator. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, and shaped by a multicultural upbringing, his work draws from Afro-Caribbean traditions and Black American musical lineages. As a mid-career artist and cultural educator, Cisneros creates original, dance-centered music grounded in rhythm, improvisation, and community engagement. His practice reflects a deep connection to diasporic traditions while engaging the lived realities of contemporary city life. Through performance and collaboration, he approaches music as a living, embodied form that carries memory, fosters connection, and brings people together through shared movement and sound.
