Cinthya Franco
2026 HEAR US Awardee
Graduate Film Class of 2026
CINTHYA FRANCO is an Ecuadorian writer-director based in Brooklyn whose work explores the complexities of human behavior and societal norms. Her films have screened at festivals and broadcast programs internationally. She is completing her MFA at NYU Tisch, where Tooth is her thesis film and the foundation of her first feature.
Project
Tooth is a short film that follows Ezequiel, a curious and witty six-year-old, who lives with his mother Lorena in rural Ecuador. Each week, they travel to the city where she works as a housekeeper. When Ezequiel learns about the tooth fairy from the wealthy family's son, he becomes determined to earn enough money to attend summer camp, hoping the fairy can provide what his mother cannot. What begins as a hopeful plan slowly unfolds into a bittersweet awakening, as he discovers that magic doesn't work the same for everyone.
