Loaned Oscar visits grave of Uvalde shooting victim

The Oscar statuette awarded to the documentary "All the Empty Rooms" was temporarily entrusted to the family of Jackie Cazares, a 9-year-old victim of the 2022 Uvalde, Texas school shooting. The film featured the bedrooms of children lost to school violence, including Jackie's. The loaned Oscar visited various meaningful sites in Uvalde, such as Jackie's gravesite and her parents' home, offering her family a unique way to honor her memory.

Gloria Cazares, Jackie's mother, described the experience as overwhelming, viewing the Oscar as a tribute to all children who left behind "empty rooms." The award's presence in Jackie's room, left as she decorated it, brought comfort and served as a poignant reminder of her life. The film's producer, Conall Jones, facilitated the Oscar's journey.

Jackie and her cousin were among the 19 students and two teachers killed in the May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb Elementary. Her parents, Gloria and Javier Cazares, have preserved her room as a sanctuary, finding solace in the familiar items and even her recorded laughter. The film, which intentionally avoids political discussion, aims to foster empathy and highlight the need to protect children.

Other families featured in "All the Empty Rooms" are also receiving loaned Oscars. The families of Dominic Blackwell, Gracie Muehlberger, and Hallie Scruggs will each have the opportunity to honor their children with the statuette, further extending the film's message of remembrance and the profound impact of gun violence on young lives.