Warriors Coach Steve Kerr Exec-Produces Oscar-Nominated School Shooting Documentary

Kerr hopes "All the Empty Rooms" will inspire action on gun violence prevention

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has executive produced the Oscar-nominated documentary "All the Empty Rooms," which takes viewers into the preserved rooms of children killed in school shootings across the country. Kerr, who lost his own father to gun violence, has been outspoken on the issue of gun violence prevention and hopes the film will "cut through the political BS" and focus on the human toll of these tragedies.

Why it matters

Kerr has used his platform as an NBA coach to advocate for common-sense gun laws, emphasizing measures with broad support like safe storage, registration, and safety training. He sees the documentary as a way to depoliticize the issue of gun violence and appeal to people on both sides of the aisle to prioritize the safety of children.

The details

The documentary, directed by Joshua Seftel, deliberately avoids political rhetoric, instead focusing on the heartbreaking reality of the preserved rooms of children killed in school shootings. Kerr was approached to be an executive producer and saw it as an opportunity to use his platform for positive change on an issue that has deeply impacted his own life.

  • In May 2022, 19 grade schoolers and two adults were killed in a mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
  • Kerr spoke emotionally about the shooting during an NBA Conference Finals press conference, demanding action on gun violence.
  • All the Empty Rooms has earned an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Short.

The players

Steve Kerr

The head coach of the Golden State Warriors who has been outspoken on the issue of gun violence prevention, drawing from his own personal experience of losing his father to gun violence.

Joshua Seftel

The director of the Oscar-nominated documentary "All the Empty Rooms," which takes a deliberately non-politicized approach to the issue of school shootings.

Steph Curry

Kerr's star player on the Warriors, who has also become involved in documentary filmmaking, executive-producing the Oscar-winning short "The Queen of Basketball" and co-directing "The Baddest Speechwriter of All" about former MLK Jr. speechwriter Clarence B. Jones.

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What they’re saying

“It's beautiful. It's heartbreaking. It's moving. And I think the reason it's so important is that it cuts through all the political BS that we are all living through. And it cuts right to the core of the issue, which is loss and grief.”

— Steve Kerr, Golden State Warriors Head Coach (Deadline)

“It's a film about gun violence that never says the word 'gun.' It was a process to get there. Initially, we thought we have to acknowledge the debate, the political debate. And we even had a sequence where you could hear people debating the different sides and if there are sides in this — which I don't think there really are. And then over time, as the film started to take shape and come together, we realized that we didn't need that. I didn't want there to be anything in this film that would give a person a reason to turn it off.”

— Joshua Seftel, Director, "All the Empty Rooms" (Deadline)

What’s next

The Oscar nomination for "All the Empty Rooms" could help raise further awareness about the issue of gun violence and the need for action.

The takeaway

Kerr's involvement in this documentary reflects his ongoing commitment to using his platform to advocate for common-sense gun laws and shift the focus away from partisan politics to the human toll of these tragedies. By highlighting the personal stories behind the statistics, he hopes the film will inspire more people to get involved in the fight to make schools and communities safer.