All the Empty Rooms
2025 documentary short film by Joshua Seftel
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All the Empty Rooms is a 2025 American documentary short film directed and produced by Joshua Seftel. It follows Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp as they embark across the United States to memorialize the bedrooms of children killed in school shootings.[1]
- Joshua Seftel
- Conall Jones
- James Costa
- Trevor Burgess
- Steve Kerr
- Erin Casper
- Stephen Maing
- Jeremy Medoff
| All the Empty Rooms | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Joshua Seftel |
| Produced by |
|
| Cinematography | Matt Porwoll |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by | Alex Somers |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release dates | |
Running time | 33 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
All the Empty Rooms had its world premiere at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2025. Netflix released it globally on its streaming service on December 1. At the 98th Academy Awards, it was awarded the Best Documentary Short Film. [2][3]
Premise
Steve Hartman and photographer Lou Bopp embark across the United States to memorialize the untouched bedrooms of children lost to school shootings.[4]
Four children and their bedrooms were featured in the film:
- Hallie Scruggs, a victim of the 2023 Nashville school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee
- Dominic Blackwell, a victim of the Saugus High School shooting in Santa Clarita, California
- Gracie Anne Muehlberger, also a victim of the Saugus High School shooting
- Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares, a victim of the Uvalde school shooting in Uvalde, Texas
The full project included four additional children who were not shown in the film. These included three victims of the Parkland high school shooting and one victim of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.[5]
Release
It had its world premiere at the 52nd Telluride Film Festival on August 31, 2025.[6] It also screened at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2025.[7][8] Prior to its Telluride premiere, Netflix acquired distribution rights to the film.[9]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | March 15, 2026 | Best Documentary Short Film | All the Empty Rooms | Won | [10] |
| Hamptons International Film Festival | October 13, 2025 | Subject Matter Award | Won | [11] | |