More than Your Ordinary Film Festival Metrics of Success
- Allan Shedlin
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
By Allan Shedlin
Great Grampsy and Founder, Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F)
With our 5th annual film festival now "in the can," so to speak, I've been asked if we consider it a success. The response most anticipated is one that can be easily quantified like how many films were submitted, how many countries were represented, or how many people attended our live Daddying Film Forum. Although those measures are not unimportant, they are not the heart and soul of our Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F).
Much as D3F is unlike any of the other 14,000 annual film festivals that exist worldwide because of its focus on the importance of father involvement in its presence and its absence, student film submissions are judged by students, and our live Forum focuses on the issues that come up in the films (not the usual production mechanics, budget, or schedule), our festival metrics of success are necessarily different. They favor the qualitative over the quantitative and we believe they best support us in accomplishing our mission.
The following are some lasting metrics we think are important, create real impact, and we are proud of. Since 2022, D3F has:
Raised the consciousness of the importance of father involvement and expanded the discussion about masculinity.
Provided an opportunity to display vulnerabilities of dads and the recipients of their daddying.
Provided evidence that the arts are important to the stories we tell and need to be told.
Added our 2023 undergraduate student Atticus Award winner, Julietta Beutler Lam (A Trace), as D3F producer and graphic designer.
Recruited many past student and indie filmmaker finalists to join the team as judges.
Attracted several well-qualified professionals as Forum discussion group leaders.
Been invited to curate films for large conferences and retreats in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Chicago, Portland, Bethesda (MD), Dallas, and San Diego.
Created an award for promising films in progress.
Created an award for a student film academy that has supported underserved 14-20 year-olds for 13 years, and has led a discussion group for some of their filmmakers.
Created a Student DADvisory Team to advise us on festival marketing and outreach.
Created a vibrant Circle of Friends with 50+ organizations to expand our festival's reach and message to a variety of national and international communities.
Provided a creative opportunity for filmmakers from 56 countries (and counting!) to explore and examine complex fatherhood issues that resonate worldwide.
Provided the opportunity for clinicians to use film in their practices.
Provided students a variety of internship opportunities and the chance to earn community service hours.
Partnered with a major university’s film department (American University in Washington, DC) to establish our "home" event venue.
Held live Forums in New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and our nation's capital.
Begun collaboration with a former high school Atticus Award winner to create a
filmmaking club for mentoring middle school students interested in visual storytelling.
As I look back over our first five years, I am reminded of the seminal importance of daddying and the universal need and desire to make sense of its complexity. To celebrate its joys and squarely face its challenges with courage and resilience as we strive to do the best we can while recognizing that kids need dads, dads need kids, and families are better off when fathers and kids are positively involved in each other's lives.
And we daddy onward to our next D3F Call for Entries kicking off this Fathers' Day!
Daddying Film Festival & Forum 2027
June 21, 2026
Save the Dates: The 6th annual, virtual Daddying Film Festival will take place on Eventive, January 11-20, 2027, and our LIVE Daddying Film Forum will screen Atticus Award winners and finalists, January 29-30, 2027! Start planning your submissions now for the D3F 2027 Call for Entries, which opens this Fathers' Day, June 21st. More D3F news to come!
Allan Shedlin has devoted his life's work to improving the odds for children and families. He has three daughters, five grandchildren, a great grandchild on the way, 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.
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