Looking for a Little Humanity? You'll Find It at the Daddying Film Forum

By Allan Shedlin

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

Image credit: Tom Wang, Shutterstock

Have you ever watched 143 films from 30 countries in less than 4 months while you work to pull together a film festival? I can tell you it doesn’t provide a lot of time to assimilate them.

On the eve of our 5th annual Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F), as I reflect on the submissions from students, Dads, and Indie filmmakers alike, a bunch have stood out and demanded a place in my heart. But the conglomerate reminds me that our father-child relationships are complex, and there is a universal desire to make sense of their complexity.

In addition to trying to understand these relationships, there seems to emerge a desire to forgive fraught relationships and reclaim some measure of love. And often, I have been lifted by the resilience, the humanity, and the commitment of individuals to do better as a parent than was done for them.

Very few of us ever gets the father we most wished for; the one we dreamed of. And it is clear that daddying doesn't occur in a vacuum. It's relational. It occurs in a social context, within the realities of families, communities, and cultures in all their complexity.

In these anxiety laden and stressful times, the comfort that Dads can provide is more important than ever and it feels satisfying to provide D3F as a platform to:

• Shine a spotlight on the importance of Dads in their presence and their absence

• Provide opportunities for kids and fathers alike to reflect upon and express feelings about what daddying qualities are most important to them; what kind of Dad a father wants to be, and what kind of Dad a kid wants and needs

• Provide opportunities for emotional authenticity, creativity, and originality

• Portray a variety of family dynamics to explore and encourage constructive relationships; and

• Demonstrate film/video-making skills and production values.
  

This weekend, January 30-31, at American University in Washington, DC, we kick off our live Daddying Film Forum and two days of celebrating the importance of having or being a positively involved Dad. Friday's "professional" session runs from 4-9 pm ET, and Saturday's "family" session goes from 1-6 pm.

NOW SHOWING at the 2026 Daddying Film Forum

Admission to either session (or both!) is FREE. Forum daily passes are still available on Eventive and EventBrite.

If you're in the neighborhood, we hope you'll brave the cold, icy, chaotic world with us and stop by for some heartwarming daddying stories, good discussion, good music, and lots of popcorn.

Daddy on.

Allan Shedlin has devoted his life's work to improving the odds for children and families. He has three daughters, five grandchildren, and numerous "bonus" sons, daughters, and grandchildren. Trained as an 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 has written about education and parenting for major news outlets and trade publications, as well as appearing on radio and TV. 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 Dad engagement and fatherhood 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 has conducted daddying workshops with Native American pueblos, veterans’ groups, penitentiaries, Head Start centers, corporate boardrooms, and elementary schools. In 2022, Allan founded and directed the Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F). In 2024, he was named to Who’s Who. In 2025, Allan was honored with an "Official Citation" from the Maryland State General Assembly "In Recognition for All You Do for Dads, Granddads, and Kids of All Ages." He also was named 2025 “Father of the Year” by the Fathers & Families Coalition of America. 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 an ABD at Fordham University. He considers his D-A-D and GRAND D-A-D the most important “degrees” of all.