Table of Contents
Three Key Takeaways
- ADO interweaves Shakespeare’s language with a harrowing school shooting scenario, highlighting resilience and hope.
- The film’s creation was deeply personal, inspired by Henderson’s mother’s decades as a middle school theatre teacher and featuring his daughter in her debut.
- Despite logistical challenges moving production from Texas to LA, collaboration and adaptability were pivotal to the film’s completion and success.
Sam Henderson’s ADO is a poignant short film selected for the prestigious HollyShorts Film Festival, spotlighting the courage of a middle school drama teacher during a school shooting.
Featuring Jenifer Lewis, Zachary Lane, and debut actress Karis Henderson, with cinematography by Eric Branco, the film uniquely blends Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing with a contemporary crisis. Henderson, a classically trained actor and professor, draws on personal experience and family to craft a compelling narrative of hope and survival.
Q&A Interview
What drew you to make this film? Why this story, and why now?
After a conversation with my mother, who’s been a middle school theatre teacher for almost 40 years, I decided I’d make a creative response to what she said when I asked her what she would do if she ever had to confront a school shooter in her classroom. I also wanted to make something to feature my daughter, who’s a young actress.
What surprised you most about the filmmaking process this time—creatively or logistically? Was there a moment on set or in post that completely changed how you saw the story?
We are Texas based filmmakers, and through a series of circumstances, we had to move our entire production to LA over the course of a couple of months. That and figuring out how to start the film were part of our biggest creative challenges.
Is there a moment in the film that feels the most you—something only you could have made?
Not to give away the film too much, but Shakespeare’s language is a key feature in the film. I’m a classically trained actor and Professor of acting and so, Shakespeare’s words have been a consistent part of my daily consciousness for a very long time.
What was the hardest creative decision you made while making this film?
The script has more Shakespeare than is currently in the film.
"Shakespeare’s words have been a consistent part of my daily consciousness for a very long time."
What do you hope audiences take away from your film?
"Though including a school shooter in a film is admittedly incendiary, I hope audiences don’t fixate on that. Rather, I hope audiences think about the teacher - their teachers."
And perhaps recall a teacher who stood and delivered for them when they needed it the most.
How has this film shaped or shifted the kind of stories you want to tell next?
This is a great question. I think this film proves that I can create something that has some sort of emotional pull. But I don’t think that I can always be my aim. If anything, it’s made me more aware of my ability to do that and has challenged me to think how to best use that ability in future projects.
What’s a tool, technique, or resource that really helped you during production?
Because we had to start from scratch with a crew in LA, it’s fairly incalculable how invaluable my collaborators were, many of whom jumped in at the last minute. But I’d have to say our 1st AD, Liz Holland, was an MVP as far as helping us assemble reliable talent, quickly.
What do you think is the greatest strength of independent filmmaking, and how did you lean into that on this project? Is there a lesson or breakthrough you’d share with others navigating this path?
"If you get a no for an answer, ask a different question that leads a yes. And my life motto: patience will get you everything you want."
What does it mean to you to have your film selected for HollyShorts?
It means a lot. This is one of biggest and most prestigious short film festivals in the world. So, it provides further validation from my incredible team.
How do you hope being part of HollyShorts will shape the life of this film?
I hope more people will view the film, hear about the film and share what they feel about the film with their friends (if they liked it).
Where do you see this film going next?
A couple of things: our fest run will continue through the end of the year, as we continue to attempt to promote this now Oscar-eligible film. And yes, we have feature film version that’s currently in development. We hope the short’s success will only continue to buoy our chances for funding.
"At the core of all my work is a desire to inspire."
Cast & Crew
- Jenifer Lewis (Black-ish, Princess and the Frog)
- Zachary Lane (Superman, Bad Monkey)
- Karis Henderson (debut)
- Eric Branco, Director of Photography (Story Ave, Clemency, 40-Year Old Version, AMPAS member)
- Liz Holland, 1st Assistant Director
Follow their instagram: @ado_shortfilm
