Everytown Applauds Oscar Win for Animated Short ‘If Anything Happens I Love You’

Everytown Worked Closely With Writers and Directors Michael Govier and Will McCormack on “If Anything Happens I Love You”, an Animated Short That Follows Two Parents Grieving the Loss of Their Child in a School Shooting, Since the Film’s Inception.

LOS ANGELES — Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund (“Everytown”) applauds the Oscar win of “If Anything Happens I Love You,” an illustrated animated short film that depicts an extraordinary emotional journey of two parents struggling to overcome the pain left behind after having their daughter’s life taken by gun violence in a school shooting. 

“Everytown is proud of the supporting role we played in the creation of If Anything Happens, I Love You, a short film about a school shooting that’s having a long impact on everyone who watches it,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown. “Gun violence is one of the most urgent public health emergencies facing our country, and it deserves a place on the biggest stage in the film world.”

“As we have seen in recent weeks, gun violence continues to devastate our schools, communities, and cities,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “Through my time with Moms Demand Action, I have heard so many survivors talk about how their lives have changed after experiencing gun violence and how the littlest of things — like a playground, a door closing, or a song — can take on a whole new meaning. This film is an ode to those experiences and the underlying trauma that are not often acknowledged on a large scale. We are grateful to the filmmakers and Netflix for continuing to elevate these stories, and the Academy for recognizing the incredible work put into this piece.”

“This film is a tribute to the families who have had to walk through the unthinkable pain and grief caused by gun violence. We are grateful to share this story with the world and honor survivors on this big stage,” said writers / directors Will McCormack and Michael Govier. “This win is not only for our team, but for those lost or left behind.”

The film juxtaposes the excruciating pain of being a survivor of gun violence and the resilience of the human spirit. The film is a true elegy on grief and premiered at a number of festivals including Omaha Film Festival, Cleveland Film Festival, RiverRun Film Festival, and the Phoenix Film Festival.  

The short is written and directed by Michael Govier (“CONAN”) and Will McCormack (“CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER”)  with animation direction by Youngran Nho. The project was produced by Maryann Garger (“THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE”), Gary Gilbert (“LA LA LAND”), Gerald Chamales (“THE IRISHMAN”), and Michael Govier under Gilbert Films and Oh Good Productions, and executive produced by Laura Dern, Jayme Lemons, Peter Morgan, Sydney Holland, Will McCormack, Robyn Klein, and Jeremy Ross.