All the Empty Rooms won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film at the 98th Academy Awards, with Uvalde mother Gloria Cazares delivering a deeply emotional tribute to children killed in school shootings through their preserved bedrooms
05:36, 16 Mar 2026Updated 05:37, 16 Mar 2026
Gloria, mother of Jackie, a young girl killed at Robb Elementary, spoke of the bedroom her daughter left behind.(Image: Rob Latour/Shutterstock)
One of the most emotional moments of the 98th Academy Awards came when All the Empty Rooms won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film.
The 33-minute film, directed by Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones, brings attention to the devastation school shootings leaves behind by focusing on the bedrooms of children whose lives were tragically cut short.
The award was presented by comedian and former Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel, who also took a moment to praise documentary filmmakers for their courage and dedication. Kimmel highlighted how many documentary creators put themselves in dangerous situations to bring important stories to light.
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Speaking on stage at the Academy Awards, Gloria Cazares – the mother of nine‑year‑old Jackie Cazares, who was gunned down by 18-year-old Salvador Ramos in the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas – told the crowds that her daughter is “more than just a headline, she is our light and our life”. Fighting back tears, Gloria Cazares explained that her daughter’s bedroom has remained untouched since that fateful day in 2022, which would go on in history to be remembered as the worst school shooting in recent US history. Referring to other children killed in their schools, she went on: “We believe if the world could see their empty bedrooms we would be a different America.”
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An Instagram post shared on the All the Empty Rooms official account on January 18 shed some light into Jackie’s final days before her life was tragically cut short. It read: “Before Jackie Cazares died, she had grand plans for her bedroom. Jackie was 9-years-old and ready for a change. Her mum’s Amazon cart was filled with boho-style decor, sage green accents (her new favourite colour), and fake plants. She was outgrowing the pinks and purples of her younger years, including the unicorn and glow-in-the-dark heart her dad, Javier, painted for her. “Jackie’s family has kept her room exactly as she left it. The string lights she slept with every night have never been turned off. Jackie was nine when she was killed during the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022.”