Live Forum Wraps Another Heartwarming and Heartbreaking Year of Daddying Films

By Allan Shedlin

Grampsy and Founder, Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F)

"My daughter has accompanied her Atticus award-winning film (“Best High School” film) to a couple other film festivals – all with much bigger audiences, festival days, and films shown – but no other award or Festival has been more meaningful than this one."

– Clint Harrison, Dad of Dulcinea Harrison, 2025 Atticus Award Winner, Best HS Student Film, I Choose You

We have often spoken about our Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F) as different from the other 12,000 annual international film festivals. And so, the evaluative metrics we use to determine its level of success are, by definition, different. The roster of films shown during this year's virtual festival, at our live Daddying Film Forum this past weekend, and that have garnered 2025 Atticus Award recognition represent the wide variety of daddying experiences that exist worldwide. As they have over the past four years, D3F 2025's Official Selections were equisitively reflective of our mission:

We were thrilled that three current Atticus winners and one past winner were present at this year's Forum to accept their awards, in person, and to engage in a Q & A with the attendees. And we were honored to premiere an episode of the new docuseries, Grown Up Dad, created by Joseph Gidjunis and Joshua Kagi, ahead of its national PBS network rollout this June. Joe and Josh also were in attendance to provide additional insight into the making of this groundbreaking, research-based series that explores the challenges of parenting from the father's perspective. Grown Up Dad was this year's D3F Judges' Prize Atticus winner for Best Documentary Short.

As we begin planning for D3F 2026, we still think of ourselves as the “little film festival that could.” And we continue to evolve and learn how best to shine a spotlight on the importance of positive dad involvement and how to help dads move from an understudy role to a co-starring role. A key part of the planning process is considering other ways to evaluate the true impact of our two-pronged festival, which offers Dads, families, filmmakers, a diversity of parenting nonprofits, and mental health professionals a unique opportunity and setting to examine the importance, challenges, and consequences of father engagement, in its presence and absence:

• Films have been submitted from 28 countries!

• Former Atticus winners have become judges

• Student jurors come from three countries

• One former student, 2024 Atticus winner Julietta Beutler-Lam (A Trace), now works with us as our assistant festival producer

• Our D3F Circle of Friends continues to grow

• We have been invited to screen/curate some of our Atticus Award-winning films for sharing and discussion at fatherhood-related organization conferences and meetings (recently at the Fathers and Families Coalition of America's International Conference in Los Angeles. Next up, DC events).

As we look forward to D3F 2026, a variety of changes are in store based upon what we've learned thus far:

• We will bring our live Daddying Film Forum to the greater Washington, DC area

• D3F will take place at a different time of year. Spring and early summer seem have just too many other demands on student and family time

• D3F's 2026 live Forum will likely take place over two days

• D3F will work to attract new sponsors and continue to broaden outreach. Let us know if you're interested in working with us!

• We will begin our 2026 Call for Entries this Fathers’ Day, June 15th.

Stay tuned and begin making plans NOW to create your own daddying film or video!

A Final Look Back at D3F 2025...

D3F 2026 Call for Entries Coming this Fathers' Day!

Allan Shedlin has devoted his life's work to improving odds for children and families. He has three daughters, five grandchildren, and numerous "bonus" children and grandchildren. A trained educator, Allan has alternated between classroom service, school leadership, parenting coaching, policy development, and advising at the local, state, and national levels. After eight years as an elementary school principal, Allan founded and headed the National Elementary School Center. He’s written about education and parenting for major news outlets and trade publications, and given numerous TV, radio, and podcast interviews. In 2008, he was the first male honored as a "Living Treasure" by Mothering Magazine and founded REEL Fathers. In 2010 he advised the Obama White House on fathering policy. In 2017, he founded the DADvocacy Consulting Group. In 2018, he launched the Daddy Wishes Fund and Daddy Appleseed Fund. In 2019, he co-created and co-facilitated the Armor Down/Daddy Up! and Mommy Up! programs for veterans and their children. He’s conducted daddying workshops with Native American pueblos, veterans’ groups, penitentiaries, Head Start centers, corporate boardrooms, and elementary schools. In 2022, Allan founded the Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F). In 2024 he was named to Who’s Who. Allan earned his elementary and high school diplomas from NYC’s Ethical Culture Schools, BA at Colgate University, MA at Columbia University’s Teachers College, and ABD at Fordham University. But he considers his D-A-D and GRAND D-A-D the most important “degrees” of all.