Is 123 All Eyes On Me Based On A True Story?

No, 123 All Eyes On Me is not based on a true story. However, the short film takes inspiration from real-life events.

The 2020 short drama was directed and co-written by Emil Gallardo with Derek Ho.

The film stars Farelle Walker as an elementary school art teacher Ms. Leena, along with Blanca Ordaz, Armand Munoz, Samuel Ieremia, Koda Baker, Jayden Eclarino, and Braden Gile.

"We made this film because we wanted to do more to help end mass shootings," Emil Gallardo said in an interview.

They created the film to help people develop a deeper emotional understanding of what it's like to be in such a terrifying situation. The gripping drama will surely make an impact on viewers.

While writing the story, Gallardo interviewed a few teachers, and one of them had experienced an active shooter situation.

The perspective he got from them was staggeringly informative in shaping the drama. The plot naturally evolved as the cast was selected and locations and crew members were confirmed.

The universal and personal theme of 1, 2, 3, All Eyes On Me is resilience. Ms. Leena, the protagonist of the film, takes that abstract concept, making it very real and personal.

Even though the film is only 15 minutes long, its realistic portrayal of a teacher witnessing a mass shooting in real-time and having to find out which course of action will keep her students safe is heartbreaking.

"There's actually no violence depicted in the film," the director says while giving an inside look into his short film. You won't see anybody getting hurt, and there's no blood.

Debuting on January 24, 2020, at the Phoenix Film Festival, the film attained significant praise accumulating 17 awards throughout the year.

Notably, the drama won awards at the Austin Film Festival, Pasadena International Film Festival, and many others, allowing it to become an Oscar-qualifying film for the 2021 Academy Awards.

Gallardo also received many of these awards for his directing and writing credits.

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