No, 123 All Eyes On Me is not based on a true story but is inspired by true events. 123 All Eyes On Me is about a crisis on an elementary school.

This 15-minute short drama film was released on March 12, 2020, and though released years ago, it is trending again on social platforms, with users poring over clips on TikTok.

It tells a story about an art teacher who witnesses a school shooting and is determined to protect the students in her classroom.

The film got a second life on TikTok after a user shared several of the film’s most alarming scenes on their account, with many expressing awe at the realistic depiction of fear and panic in the film.

1, 2, 3, All Eyes On Me showcases how much responsibility is placed on teachers when they are caught in such a crisis that engulfs their campus and the children under their care.

The film has received tremendously positive and validating feedback from the viewers. And while there are other titles on this subject, none are made in the way this film is.

Beyond the recognition from festivals and filmmakers, the drama has been praised by many teachers, who have expressed how the work and the sacrifices they make have been acknowledged.

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.

123 All Eyes On Me Ending Explained

123 All Eyes On Me ending reveals no sirens or help on the way. The final scene shows the art teacher crying while telling the kids to stay quiet.

The short film starts with Ms. Leena, a 4th-grade elementary class art teacher, starting her lesson by instructing her students to pair up and begin to paint each other’s portraits.

Soon, the assignment creates a conflict between students Ricardo and Anthony, as the latter denies associating with his pair.

The teacher then takes Anthony outside of the class to have a discussion. And while she is talking with him, a teenager rushes towards a nearby classroom, sprays an ‘X’ on the door, and leaves.

At this point, she ends her talking with the boy and tells him to rejoin the class, proceeding to call a colleague to report the suspicious behavior.

After ending the phone call, she is even more concerned because she realizes her classroom door is also marked with a spray-painted ‘X’.

She rejoins the class and starts to clean Ricardo’s face paint, painted by fellow classmates but is interrupted by the school’s blaring alarm. She quickly locks the door, pulls down the curtains, and turns off the lights.

The class soon goes into an urgent lockdown. And while doing her best to keep the students quiet and calm, she sees two teenagers with armored vests distributing guns outside the window.

The gunmen proceed towards doors with the ‘X’ mark. Gunshots and screams are soon heard, as the teacher starts to barricade her own door.

Realizing the safety of herself and the kids is at increasing risk, she manages to take her students to a nearby class that the gunmen have just left only to find out one of her students is missing.

With fear in her eyes, she peeks toward the classroom that they have just left from the window and witnesses a gunman standing there.

The gunman rushes inside the classroom and a gunshot is heard. Ms. Leena breaks down, with tears rolling down from her eyes. “I am sorry,” she says while sobbing in pain and terror.

The ending scene shows Ms. Leena consoling herself and the kids, saying that help will soon arrive. She also tells the kids to stay quiet.

Where To Watch 123 All Eyes On Me?

123 All Eyes On Me is available to watch on HBO Max. There is also a featurette about the making of the short film.

In the making-of video, director Emil Gallardo explains the young actors who appeared as students in the short drama had gone through active shooter drills in their schools.

He says he is hopeful that the adults watching the short will go out and push for real-world change after knowing what it’s like to experience a situation like this.

The director’s mother was also a teacher for 30 years. He grew up watching her, which created a deep respect for what teachers do and the amount of devotion they put into their profession.

Farelle does the heavy lifting as the teacher and gives a beautiful performance. The horror of illustrating what this violent event must look like is very well done and can serve as awareness.

The actress won four acting awards from various film festivals, including the Best Actress award at CineOdyssey Film Festival and Best Performance at Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival.

The film officially wrapped up production in January 2020 and was shown at numerous film festivals throughout the years. It quickly began receiving nominations and then awards.