Courtesy of Sam Henderson
Audio By Carbonatix
Talking to your mom regularly has its benefits. It strengthens your relationship, makes her feel loved and appreciated, and if you’re extremely lucky, it can put you in the conversation for an Oscar.
At least, that’s what happened when a conversation between filmmaker Sam Henderson and his mother led him and his writing partner, Ryan Romine, to write the script for Ado. The short film stars Jenifer Lewis as a theater teacher rehearsing Much Ado About Nothing with her students when a school shooting breaks out. Lewis’ character ends up in a confrontation with the shooter, a former student of hers. Shakespearean drama ensues.
On Wednesday, March 4, Henderson will stop by the Texas Theatre to speak with Rebekah Louisa Smith, also known as the Film Festival Doctor, for “In Conversation with Rebekah,” a series of discussions with successful filmmakers that Smith hopes will inspire other artists. Ado will screen as part of their conversation.
While making its way through the festival circuit, Ado garnered praise from audiences and institutions alike. It received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Texas Short Film from the Dallas International Film Festival, the HBO Short Film Award at the American Black Film Festival and ultimately landed on the shortlist for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.
”It’s odd because we didn’t have any designs or expectations about what the film would do eventually, but once we were in it, we kind of rode this wave of momentum,” says Henderson, who also works as an Assistant Professor of Theatre and Film at Baylor University.
Courtesy of Sam Henderson
That momentum carried them all the way to the footsteps of the Oscars. Even though they did not make the final list of nominees, Henderson says that even making the shortlist was a mathematical improbability. Out of more than 200 submissions, only 15 selections made the shortlist. Beating those odds felt great, but it did not make the return to reality any easier.
“We were hopeful about getting nominated, and then not getting nominated… it was honestly a bit of a letdown, which is a really odd feeling, and something that you feel kind of dumb about: being let down for not being nominated for an Oscar,” Henderson says.
He compares the experience to playing for a sports team. Making the playoffs and losing in the second round doesn’t feel great, but how many other teams would have killed just for that opportunity?
“Ado is one of the most successful live action short films ever made, in terms of what it won and where it played and how it was received and where it ended up,” he says. “I mean, there will be filmmakers who make shorts their entire career who won’t have the run we had over the course of 12 months. And so, you know, I am incredibly proud of this film.”
Courtesy of Sam Henderson
Still, everyone wants to go to the Super Bowl.
Hearing Henderson speak candidly about his journey with the film is refreshing. He is open to discussing not only his experience with the Oscars, but the challenges that come from living with a piece of art day in and day out for years.
“I have spent every week of my life doing something for this film since the spring of 2023,” he says. “I honestly don’t know what my life looks like apart from it right now, creatively.”
When he sits down with Smith, Henderson says he is coming in without an agenda. He wants to unpack the experience, the journey he has been on with Ado, making sense of its production and release, and the mixed emotions he has about their Oscar journey. Everything from strikes delaying initial production plans to what it was like dedicating a year of his life to flying around the world promoting the film is up for discussion. Henderson hopes that by being honest about the ups and downs of the process, his story can inspire others.
”I’m just another guy who had a story, had a dream, wanted to be authentic to something, and this took us really far,” he says.
As for his mother? She’s a fan.
”I think she likes the film more than I do,” Henderson laughs.
Tickets for “In Conversation with Rebekah: Sam Henderson” at the Texas Theatre are available now.
