“La Esperanza (Hope)” by Javier Cruz-Ginez (BA, moving-image production ’25) has been selected in this year’s Tribeca short program.

Through candid conversations, observational footage, and archival footage, “La Esperanza (Hope)” tells the story of a Mexican immigrant family reflecting on the border that has kept them apart for 25 years. It reveals the enduring impact of more than 2,000 miles of separation from San Pedro, Teozacoalco on a Mexican immigrant family that has spent decades navigating the weight of separation in pursuit of the American Dream. In "La Esperanza (Hope)", home is fragmented, existing in photos, phone calls, and memories carried across a border.

“La Esperanza is a story I’ve always wanted to tell, and I was grateful for the opportunity to explore these themes in my senior thesis. Traveling to Mexico and capturing the beauty of my family’s hometown was fun and therapeutic.”

“My senior thesis was an accumulation of what I learned in different classes in the Moving-Image Production major. I was able to experiment with different themes and techniques in different classes, starting to build a style and voice as a director. During the Advanced Documentary course, Assistant Professor Rasel Ahmed helped us think about how our films can take life after we've completed production, such as through film festivals and local screenings.”

Moving-Image Production majors spend their senior year creating a film as part of their capstone experience in a class taught by Professor Janet Parrott.

“La Esperanza (Hope)” was produced by Tobias Zuniga-Shaw (BA, moving-image production ’26) and Logan St Hilaire (BA, moving-image production ’26) with Professor Janet Parrot serving as project advisor. It was supported by the Arts Undergraduate Research Scholarship and the Newirth Innovation for the Moving Image Fund.

In 2025, “La Esperanza (Hope)” was Student Academy Awards Semifinalist.

Organized by Tribeca Enterprises, the Tribeca Festival is an annual festival showcasing a diverse selection of film and other programming. It was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkaff in 2002 to spur economic and cultural revitalization of Lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001.