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6TH ANNUAL DADDYING FILM FESTIVAL & FORUM (D3F) ANNOUNCES 2027 CALL FOR ENTRIES

 

International Festival Celebrating Importance of Involved Dads Seeks

Student, Dad/dad Figure, Mom & Indie Filmmaker Submissions

 

June 21, 2026 – Chevy Chase, MD – The Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F), the world’s first and only film fest focused exclusively on promoting the importance of positive Dad/father figure involvement for kids and families, announced on Fathers' Day its 2027 Call for Entries. D3F welcomes films and videos from students (3rd grade-undergrad), Dads/Granddads, dad figures, Moms/Grandmoms, and indie filmmakers and studios worldwide.

 

Since 2022, D3F has attracted film/video submissions from 56 countries, including numerous award nominees and winners:

 

 

SAVE THE DATES

Celebrating its 6th year, D3F’s virtual film fest will take place January 11-20, 2027, on Eventive. The live Daddying Film Forum will be Friday, January 29 and Saturday, January 30, at American University in Washington, DC.

 

Students, Dads/Granddads, Moms/Grandmoms, and dad figures can submit films and videos (including TikToks, Instagram reels, and music and dance videos) for FREE by Monday, September 7, via D3F’s FilmFreeway page. The regular entry deadline is Monday, November 23.

 

WHO MAY SUBMIT?

Student filmmakers, Dads/Granddads/dad figs, and now Moms/Grandmoms may submit 1- to 40-minute films/videos (MP4 or MOV format), including music videos, animation, and comedies that relate to one or more D3F daddying themes: 

 

  1. A letter to my Dad/father figure or my child(ren)

  2. The most joyful/fun thing I ever did or wish I could do/have done with my Dad/father figure or child(ren)

  3. If I could make one wish come true for my Dad/father figure or child(ren) it would be...

  4. My Daddy dream: the most positive relationship I could imagine having with my Dad/father figure or child(ren)

  5. Men Caring: celebrate one of the many other faces of daddying, including men who play nurturing, fatherly roles and make a positive impact. Examples include foster Dads, adoptive Dads, Granddads, uncles, teachers, mentors and “big brothers,” philanthropists/patrons, and other role models/celebrities.

  6. "Returning Dads" – celebrating Dads remaining connected or re-integrating with kids and family, including deployed and incarcerated Dads.

  7. NEW for 2027: "Salute to Moms" – films by/about mothers or grandmothers who face challenges caring for their kids/grandkids that may occur when a father is absent from the parenting equation.

  8. NEW for 2027: "Importance of Play" – films depicting Dad/dad figure-child bonding through active play, including games, sports, imaginative/role play, performing arts/dance, reading, and other creative endeavors.

  9. NEW for 2027: "Best DadPod" – single episodes of a parenting (Dad or Mom) video podcast focused on the importance of positive Dad involvement, in its presence or absence.

 

Non-student/indie filmmakers are also encouraged to submit films of any length (short or feature). Students under 18 must have a parent's permission to register/submit.

 

WHAT’S IN IT FOR WINNERS?

Up to five finalists and one winner will be selected in the following D3F 2027 Atticus Award categories:

 

  1. 3rd through 5th-grade students (elementary school)

  2. 6th through 8th (middle school)

  3. 9th through 12th (high school)

  4. College/university (undergrad students)

  5. Best Feature Film (indie filmmakers)

  6. Best Short Film (indie filmmakers)

  7. Best Animated Film

  8. Best Music Video

  9. Roy R. Neuberger Award for Best Dad-created Film

  10. D3F Judges' Prize for Best Documentary Feature 

  11. D3F Judges' Prize for Best Documentary Short 

  12. Best Dad-Figure Film – The D3F Men Caring Award for best film celebrating the many other faces of daddying, including men who play nurturing, fatherly roles that make a positive impact in children’s lives.

  13. "Salute to Moms" – Best film by/about a mother or grandmother who faces challenges caring for their kids/grandkids.

  14. "Best DadPod" – Best single episode of a parenting (Dad or Mom) video podcast focused on the importance of positive Dad involvement, in its presence or absence.

  15. "Importance of Play Award" – Best film depicting Dad/dad figure-child bonding through active play.

  16. D3F "Returning Dads" Award – Best film by/about Dads remaining connected or re-integrating with kids and family, including deployed and incarcerated Dads; and

  17. D3F Audience Choice Award – Film/video earning most votes from online attendees during the virtual D3F streaming on Eventive, January 11—20, 2027.

 

All STUDENT FINALISTS earn $250 for use toward an activity or project to enjoy with their Dad/dad figure. STUDENT WINNERS earn an additional $250 and a custom-made Atticus Award trophy. All D3F winners, including Dads/dad figures, Moms, and indie filmmakers, earn an “Atticus,” a statuette symbolizing Atticus Finch from the 1962 film based on Harper Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Finch, an iconic single Dad, represents several ideal daddying qualities. The Roy R. Neuberger Prize and Men's Caring Award winners each earn $500.

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ABOUT D3F

The Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F) is not your ordinary film fest. It is the first and only festival worldwide, focused exclusively on promoting the importance of positive Dad/dad figure involvement for kids and families. D3F was created by the DADvocacy Consulting Group’s Daddy Appleseed Fund (DAF), a donor-advised fund managed by the nonprofit Greater Washington Community Foundation (GWCF), to offer kids (3rd grade – undergrad students) a creative platform to express, through film/video, how they feel about the relationship they have or wish they had with their fathers. D3F also encourages Dad, Mom, and other indie filmmakers to submit films/videos for consideration. In addition to a virtual festival on Eventive, D3F includes a live Daddying Film Forum, which brings kids/youth together with their Dads/dad figures, families, and mental health experts to view Atticus Award-winning films and examine and discuss thoughts, feelings, and insights in response as a way to more directly improve the daddying experience for children and parents alike. D3F also presents select Atticus Award-winning and finalist films at various industry, U.S. Congressional, and fatherhood events; conducts smartphone filmmaking workshops for students, and hosts special Dad-related film impact screenings, year-round. Since it began in 2022, D3F has received submissions from filmmakers in 56 countries and counting.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION or to request an interview with past Atticus Award winners or D3F Founder Allan Shedlin, contact D3F Assoc Director Scott Beller at: scott [at] daddyingfilmfest [dot] com

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