Close-up of a woman's face with serious expression, with text overlay that reads "ADO." The background contains awards and festival mentions.

Best of fest. San Jose International Film Festival 2025, Martha's Vineyard 2025, Bronzelens 2025, American Black Film Festival HBO Short Winner 2025. ADO Short film 4x Oscar qualified

Best Live Action Short Film

98th ACADEMY AWARDS® SHORTLIST

“Sam Henderson has crafted a work that not only moves viewers to tears with its authenticity but also inspires change: Are we, as a society, ready to heed the call of teachers and act before it’s too late? ADO is a must-see for anyone seeking not just cinema but an invitation to collective transformation.”

— Hector Serrano, El Cinéfilo Latino

“Jenifer Lewis provides a powerhouse acting performance that left me struggling to think of any actor in any short film that has achieved more in such a short span of time.”

— Andrew Corns, The Revisionist’s Almanac

Ms. Hopkins, an aging middle school theater teacher, is rehearsing Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing with her students when they are interrupted by a school shooter. Her only hope lies within the memory of the language of love.

A woman on stage with her arms raised, two people sitting in an audience with distraught expressions, and an empty theater with a woman standing alone on stage.

Starring: Jenifer Lewis • Directed By: Sam Henderson • Written By: Sam Henderson & Ryan Romine • Produced By: Rachel Jobin • Cinematography: Eric Branco • Edited By: Maverick Moore

When “The Mother of Black Hollywood” Jenifer Lewis says she loves a script, you make that film! ADO is that film. Firstly, though, it’s a film about my mother, a middle school theatre teacher who can’t afford to retire, who raised her students with as much love as she raised me. This film is, indeed, a love letter to my mother delivered by the character played by my daughter. But it’s also a love letter to all of the teachers who stand and deliver as some of our truest American heroes every day. - Sam Henderson

Two people having a conversation in a dark room, with lighting coming from the front, possibly in a studio or backstage setting.

Three women in vintage clothing, two are elderly and one is young. The elderly women are sitting at a table, and the young woman is walking down a corridor.

“If ADO finds itself in the Best Live Action Short category at next spring’s Academy Awards, it would be very well deserved.”

— Andrew Corns, The Revisionist’s Almanac

“This is the best short film I’ve seen in my entire life.”

— Connor Duncan, Letterboxd

“ADO doesn’t seek easy answers. It demands reflection. It asks us to look again—at how easily young lives, once considered safe in school, now live within the possibility of violence. For a twenty-minute short, it lingers like a two-hour feature. A vital watch.”

— Leslie, Letterboxd

“Jenifer Lewis is a force of nature.”

— Rob, Letterboxd

“It would bring me immense joy to see this nominated for an Oscar this year.”

— KRD21, Letterboxd

“ADO presents audiences with a devastating scenario, a career-defining performance by Jenifer Lewis, and a powerful reminder that the best of humanity can be present in both people, and films, of all shapes and sizes.”

— Adam Freed, Movie Archer

“Easily the best short film I’ve ever seen. I could watch Jenifer Lewis for hours. What a phenomenal way to show how important the arts are.”

— Jesshof, Letterboxd

“ADO is not a short film easily forgotten; it is an experience that pierces the soul, compelling us to question our own capacity for love and action. In a historical moment where school violence raises profound ethical questions—from gun accessibility to the stigma surrounding mental health—this film reminds us that hope lies in human connection.”

— Hector Serrano, El Cinéfilo Latino