BLOOD FRIENDS (2025)
documentary short
currently in festival circuit
Director/Producer: Hayley Ulmer
Director/Producer: Sam McCoy
Production Coordinator: Aditi Sridhar
Director of Photography: Anh Vu
B Cam Op: Nathan Krauss
B Cam Op/Assistant: John Ricardel
Additional Cinematography: Sam McCoy
Sound: Genna Edwards
Sound: Elias Rivera
Editor: Megan Miller
Assistant Editor: Katie Spear
Music: Anthony Cubbage
Post Sound: Brendan Laird
Colorist: Marika Litz
Titles Designer: Caleb Sun
short film, documentary
involvement:
- directing - producting
The past few years has seen an explosion of films about anonymous sperm/egg donation, often highlighting the most shocking result of an unregulated industry. This documentary short intends to showcase another side of the story - the lived experience of the people who resulted from a "by the book" donation. In 2018, a group of siblings who share a common sperm donor found each other via DNA testing. At 32 confirmed siblings (and still growing), they have had yearly reunions where they try to define what these relationships are. Blood Friends, directed and produced by one of the siblings, tells the story in their own words. It explores the complexities of nature vs. nurture, familial connections, and the bonds we form with each other.
zach
sof
theo