Uvalde Mother Speaks at Oscars as Documentary About Victims' Bedrooms Wins Award

A documentary featuring the bedroom of a child killed in the Uvalde school shooting was honored at the Academy Awards.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 4:33pm

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A documentary memorializing the bedrooms of children killed in school shootings, including one victim of the Uvalde mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, won the Oscar for best documentary short film. The director, Steve Hartman, and Gloria Cazares, whose daughter Jackie died in the 2022 Uvalde shooting, took the stage to accept the award and speak about the importance of the project in highlighting the human toll of gun violence.

Why it matters

The Oscar win for this documentary shines a spotlight on the devastating impact of school shootings and gun violence on families and communities. By preserving the bedrooms of victims, the filmmakers aim to make the tragedy more real and personal for the public, in the hopes of inspiring change.

The details

The documentary, titled 'All the Empty Rooms,' was directed by Joshua Seftel and follows the seven-year project of CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp to document the preserved bedrooms of children killed in school shootings. The film features the bedrooms of four young victims, including Jackie Cazares from the Uvalde shooting. During the Oscars ceremony, Seftel invited Gloria Cazares, Jackie's mother, to speak about her daughter and the importance of the project.

  • The Uvalde school shooting occurred in 2022.
  • The Oscars ceremony where the documentary won the award took place on March 16, 2026.

The players

Joshua Seftel

The director of the documentary 'All the Empty Rooms.'

Steve Hartman

A CBS News correspondent who worked on the seven-year project to document the preserved bedrooms of children killed in school shootings.

Lou Bopp

A photographer who worked with Steve Hartman on the project to document the preserved bedrooms of children killed in school shootings.

Gloria Cazares

The mother of Jackie Cazares, a 9-year-old victim of the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, who spoke at the Oscars ceremony.

Jackie Cazares

A 9-year-old victim of the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, whose bedroom was featured in the documentary 'All the Empty Rooms.'

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What they’re saying

“The empty rooms in our film belong to four young children who were all killed in school shootings. Hallie, Gracie, Dominic and Jackie.”

— Joshua Seftel, Director of 'All the Empty Rooms' (Statesman.com)

“My daughter Jackie was nine years old when she was killed in Uvalde. Since that day, her bedroom has been frozen in time. Jackie is more than just a headline; she is our light and our life.”

— Gloria Cazares, Mother of Jackie Cazares (Statesman.com)

“Gun violence is now the number one cause of death in kids and teens. We believe if the world could see their empty bedrooms, we would be a different America.”

— Gloria Cazares, Mother of Jackie Cazares (Statesman.com)

What’s next

The documentary 'All the Empty Rooms' is expected to continue raising awareness about the impact of gun violence on families and communities, with plans to showcase the preserved bedrooms of more victims of school shootings.

The takeaway

This Oscar-winning documentary serves as a powerful and poignant reminder of the human toll of gun violence, particularly in schools. By preserving the bedrooms of young victims, the filmmakers aim to make the tragedy more personal and inspire action to address this critical issue facing American society.