It shouldn't surprise you that somebody who is out looking for "weird stories that connect and resonate" would direct DAD GENES (2026), the film about a sperm donor meeting his biological children. Craig Downing has been around the world looking for great stories and when he finds one, he sticks to it, no matter the time it takes to tell. DAD GENES took almost 7 years from idea to festival fruition, and that's a big credit to his team. Matt Isaac did a fantastic job producing as well as developing a festival schedule -- the film had its world premiere at Dances With Films NYC -- and Sara Barger put all this together with phenomenal editing skills.

I know Sara -- she was one of the excellent instructors at my George Washington documentary film certificate program -- and the kind of teamwork that puts the three of their names together on the poster for DAD GENES is the kind of team I want to have on the show. I'll talk with Sara for the next episode.

DAD GENES is a film that's worth a close look, for what it says about American society and the tremendous team that put it together.

In this episode, Craig and I discuss:

• the crazy over half-a-decade path to making the film;
• how he got started in filmmaking -- as a kindergarten teacher! -- and then off to Latin America and Iceland filming messaging videos for non-profits;
• if people have to go the influencer router versus what he did to get started;
• what brought him to documentary?
• the story of DAD GENES and what people should expect when they watch;
• how they took seven years of footage and made it understandable;
• the improvement of his skillset as filming went on;
• the state of documentary and the quick ruintime;
• what he's working on next.

Craig's Indie Film Highlight: POW WOW (2016) dir. by Robinson Devor

Memorable Quotes:

"And Matt [the producer of DAD GENES] called me and he was like, hey Greg, do you know any directors that might be interested in working on this? And I was like, yeah, Matt, me."

"If I took a video of someone walking out of Trader Joe's with avocados, they'd be like that's a pretty good shot, Craig, whatever. But if I took the exact same context of someone walking out of a Guatemalan market with a bag of avocados, you're like, whoa, that's amazing."

"It is not necessarily just documentary, it's for me...where is the story?"

"My producer and publicist is we gotta tell 'em something about the movie or that they're not gonna know what's going on. Yeah, okay, that's fair, but don't play all the cards."

"I felt like if you watch this movie, you see the development and the maturity of my ability to make interviews happen."

"I think the runtime will be dictated by the story."

Links:

DAD GENES Website

Follow Craig Downing On Instagram

Watch This Episode On YouTube

Every Sunday, I'll post a quick video -- and podcast -- about an indie film from at least a year ago. Today's film: SOULEYMANE'S STORY (2024)

Director: Boris Lojkine

Writer: Boris Lojkine; Delphine Agut

Cast: Abou Sangare; Alpha Oumar Sow; Nina Meurisse

SYNOPSIS

Souleymane, an asylum-seeking cyclist who delivers meals in Paris, has only two days to prepare for a crucial interview. This interview will determine his residence permit status.

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Filmmaker Jeffrey Roth has never shied away from intriguing topics, looking to find the humanity behind some of the world's most influential stories: the Apollo astronauts, vice presidents of the United States, or a famed Egyptologist like he does in THE MAN WITH THE HAT (2026). He brings an eye for the story, not the politics, and that's what makes him an amazing filmmaker .

In this episode, Jeffrey and I discuss:

• what's the best way to describe his newest film;
• how he got started in filmmaking;
• why he's interested in the human element of history;
• film in documentaries and his view on hybrid docs and re-enactments;
• the political environment and reaction if he announced he was doing a documentary on any sort of figure today versus when he did 41 (2012);
• the wild and bold story of how he secured the ability to make THE MAN WITH THE HAT;
• what he owes a subject as a documentarian;
• how he structured THE MAN WITH THE HAT;
• the name of the film and how he chooses topics;
• what's next for him.

Jeffrey's Indie Film Highlight: FOR ALL MANKIND (1989) dir. by Al Reinert

Memorable Quotes:

"It's always one step ahead of you then where you really think that you should be."

"I was with a buddy at a an event with these Apollo astronauts and we were just sitting around listening to them. And somebody had just mentioned it would be very interesting to see and watch a story about who they are as opposed to the science or the technology."

"41 is not how to love or hate a Republican. It's about a story and a man...who happened to become president."

"I would rather go to Egypt and shoot the antiquities there and shoot it either artistically, stylistically, whatever you wanna call it rather than get on a set."

"I don't think the [political atmosphere] has changed. I would say it's probably heightened."

"They made a big event with George and Barbara, with eight Apollo astronauts, six of the guys that walked on the moon in this one event. We showed the room and I walked out of there that night thinking I'll never see this guy again. But that was fun."

"I owe them respect. I owe them honesty and to try to let them know really what the goal is. I don't want to tell them too much about what I'm trying to do. Because I don't want them to think about it. I want to...try to get the real person if I can. So when I'm sitting in an interview situation, I do not like to give the questions in advance."

"I don't like to put somebody's name or really hit home to make the title too specific to what you're doing."

Links:

Watch THE MAN WITH THE HAT (2026)

Follow THE MAN WITH THE HAT