Ant

“Celebrating Latinidad in a place like Taller is really essential,” says Ant Rivera, a Philadelphia local filmmaker, during the fundraising and screening event of his movie La lengua del Tambor. The event took place at Taller Puertorriqueño (@tallerpr ) on Feb. 21. It was an opportunity to hear feedback, build community, and connect guests to Afro-Puerto Rican culture through Bomba and its irresistible rhythm. Read the full article about filmmaker Ant Rivera at IntiMedia.Org 🎬✂️ Filmed and edited by Iliana Pineda ( @illy_boi1214 ) #CommunityPower #Philadelphia #IntiMedia #CommunityVoices @mintahtumbao

My godsons are two of the most talented emerging creatives of their generation. @antmrivera is working on his next film, this time, he has teamed up his Uncle @lucasrivera247 and taken his camera to the homeland of his people — Puerto Rico and has focused his lens on its rich African culture and ancestral heritage. As a young, Black Puerto-Rican filmmaker from the streets of North Philly, his very presence AND storytelling stays disrupting narratives. I’m so very proud of him: please amplify the work that he’s doing and help him get this film made — @lalenguadeltambor . Also for the folks who are culturally illiterate, there are countless Puerto Ricans who identify as Black or as Afro-Latinos. And not because they have US Foundational Black American Ancestry. Purely because their Puerto Rican parents, grandparents and ancestors were Black AND very much so African. Their stories are resistance. The drum is resistance. Bomba is resistance. Their masking is resistance. Their self-identification is resistance. ___ H/T: @antmrivera “Resistance carried on drums, survival carried in dance and rhythm.” - Lucas Rivera Today we launch the fundraiser for La Lengua del Tambor. 🪘 This documentary explores the legacy of Bomba, an Afro-Puerto Rican tradition born from resistance and preserved across generations. Through voices in Loíza, Puerto Rico, and North Philadelphia, the film traces how the drum carries memory, identity, and survival. For me, it’s a labor of love dedicated to my isla, Puerto Rico and my city, North Philly. The drum exists as a connection of lost souls, spirits reunited through sound, beat, and rhyme. Help us keep the drum alive 🫶🏽 Share. Donate. Words from my uncle, Lucas Rivera, featured in La Lengua del Tambor.

“Sometimes gentrification is a way of saying, ‘We don’t wanna coexist. We want you out.’” In this conversation from The Domino Dialogues, Vanessa Vega, Ant Rivera, and Edwin Desamour reflect on gentrification in North Philadelphia, disappearing cultural identity, housing, development, and the frustration many longtime residents feel watching resources suddenly appear only after outside investment arrives. “Why when white people come now we starting to have conversations around a Whole Foods being in the hood?” #DominoDialogues #SomosSociety #PhillyRican #NorthPhiladelphia #CommunityArchive #PuertoRicanCulture #PhiladelphiaArtists

At what age do we earn a "bendición?" A conversation about “bendición” turned into a reflection on language, respect, family, and the small traditions that quietly shape who we are. Some of us grew up having to say it. Some still do. Some haven’t heard it in years. And apparently… there’s also an unspoken age requirement 😂 What about your family? Do you still say “bendición”? #TheDominoDialogues #SomosSociety #PuertoRicanCulture #PhillyRican #LatinoCulture #CulturalMemory #Philadelphia #OralHistory #CommunityArchive

“I’m trying to create stuff that I didn’t see growing up.” In this conversation from The Domino Dialogues, filmmaker Ant Rivera reflects on storytelling, representation, and what it means to document Philly Rican life through film. From family stories to neighborhoods like 2nd & Lehigh, Rivera speaks on the importance of seeing ourselves reflected in the stories we tell and preserve. “Our stories deserve to be told.” #DominoDialogues #SomosSociety #PhillyRican #LaLenguaDeTambor #PuertoRicanCulture #LatinoStorytelling

Papi Store is a series exploring the role that neighborhood stores play in shaping community life. From the Dominican colmado to the corner bodega, these spaces are more than places where to grab food or everyday essentials; they’re gathering places woven into the rhythm of the neighborhood. Generations grow up in them, around them, and build a sense of belonging through them. Bodegas often become essential parts of daily life in neighborhoods where the lack of grocery stores feeds into the community's food insecurity, which could unfold into matters of public safety. We explore how these corner stores operate within food deserts, the realities of small profit margins, and the labor required to sustain these spaces. Beyond convenience, bodegas become part of the infrastructure of an intertwined community experience; spaces where access, familiarity, and consistency strengthen the social fabric of a neighborhood. Special thanks to @jimmyduranjimmy and the Dominican Grocers Association @dominicangrocersassociation Director/Photography Director/Editor - Ant Rivera Producer and Community Engagement Editor - Jesenia De Moya Correa @jeseniademoyac Second Camera Operator - Azavier Gonzalez #communitynewsroom #papistores #phillynews #colmado

Papi Store is a series exploring the role that neighborhood stores play in shaping community life. From the Dominican colmado to the corner bodega, these spaces are more than places where to grab food or everyday essentials; they’re gathering places that weave communities into the rhythm of the neighborhood. Generations grow up in them, around them, and build a sense of belonging through them. Bodegas are more than convenience stores; they’re living entities deeply woven into the social and economic fabric of Philadelphia. This clip from 'Papi Store' explores the scale of bodegas across the city and the role Dominican-owned businesses continue to play in creating a billion-dollar industry in Philadelphia while creating space where communities interacts through everyday exchange, care, and connection. Through that daily interaction, bodegas help weave together neighborhoods across the city. Special thanks to @jimmyduranjimmy and the Dominican Grocers Association @dominicangrocersassociation Director/Photography Director/Editor - Ant Rivera Producer and Community Engagement Editor - Jesenia De Moya Correa @jeseniademoyac Second Camera Operator - Azavier Gonzalez #communitynewsroom #papistores #phillynews #colmado

Papi Store is a series exploring the role that neighborhood stores play in shaping community life. From the Dominican colmado to the corner bodega, these spaces are more than places where to grab food or everyday essentials; they’re gathering places woven into the rhythm of the neighborhood. Generations grow up in them, around them, and build a sense of belonging through them. Episode One reflects on the cultural role of the “papi store” and the ways hyper-local spaces continue to support and sustain the people in the community with them. Special thanks to @jimmyduranjimmy and the Dominican Grocers Association @dominicangrocersassociation Director/Photography Director/Editor - Ant Rivera Producer and Community Engagement Editor - Jesenia De Moya Correa Second Camera Operator - Azavier Gonzalez zay._madezay #communitynewsroom #papistores #phillynews #colmado

all glory to the most high | 26 ☀️☀️☀️

From a recent Domino Dialogues recording: Before the cameras turn on, there’s always conversation. Coffee in the kitchen. Artists talking about their work. Community showing up for each other. Then the lights come on and the stories begin. We recently filmed Episode 8 of The Domino Dialogues inside the @tainasisters casita art exhibit on Lehigh and Orianna with Philly Rican artists Ant Rivera (@antmrivera ) and Vanessa Vega (@vvega215 ). Conversations about art, identity, and what it means to carry culture forward. Every episode starts with people. Every episode adds another story to the archive. Episode 8 premieres May 15. Episode 6 is currently streaming. More conversations coming this spring.

On February 21st, we gathered in ceremony in the heart of Norf Philly taller. We danced. We laughed. We felt what happens when community truly comes together. ✨ From the opening vibrations of the wildly talented crew @losbuhos.templejazz to the unforgettable performance by @esencialat1na … guided by the powerful words of our beloved host @mintahtumbao and sacred libations from my elder Iya Cheryl, an Aganju priest of 30+ years — the spirit was alive. I give thanks. Screening clips from La Lengua del Tambor alongside a beautiful performance by @julio_delhoyo . And of course… we always put bomba on the map. Shout out to @losbomberosdelacalle for blessing us with their art and fuego. 🥁🔥 To our vendors, performers, volunteers, our sponsors…every single hand that touched this vision — this does not exist without you. You are a portal to the beauty and power of La Lengua del Tambor. To my team… @keemhasthedream , @waterproof_fred @zay._madezay , Elijah, my nieces…the flow, the presentation, the magic of the night. — none of it happens without you. I am forever grateful for you all especially the ones who started from the beginning, @mx.gabby.rod and @isabela.pagan 💕 And to everyone who bought a ticket, who pulled up to dance, who supported local artists and business owners (@amys_pastelillos @coquicultcoffee @powerstreettheatre @wildeandlovely @cuttia_327 ), and the youth who showed up and showed OUT — thank you. I am full.
Full of love.
Full of light.
Full of joy. More from our magical night coming soon. Ant | Director
Con muchos abrazos ❤️ 📸: @frantogrophy

Mi gente! You know we have to keep it in the family, so grateful that we secured the AFTER PARTY spot at @izlaslatincuisine ! They are hooking us up as the official link-up spot after our event at Taller Saturday night 🎉 From 10pm-12am we’ll be continuing the party, just make sure you pull up with that big bori energy celebrating our cultura and ancestors 💃🏻 Whether we’ll see you at the screening or at the after, beyond grateful for this community ❤️ 48 hours til the show begins! 🎟 Tickets in bio