Craig Downing

For her bday, I gave my mom a stamp of my dad's signature. Now she can write her own birthday checks :) "Give a 'em a fish and you feed 'em for a day; teach a 'em to fish and you feed 'em for a lifetime." Opening this present was my dad's funeral :) I'm actually a little worried how excited she is about this stamp... "Craig... I can write sternly letters but then stamp it at the end with your dad's signature...Bwahahaha!"

Exciting news! 👏 #DadGenes has been awarded Best Feature Documentary - Jury Award at the Atlanta Documentary Film Festival! Producer Matt Isaac accepted on behalf of director Craig Downing. This honor is a testament to Craig’s commitment to storytelling and the extraordinary work of our editor Sara Barger. Thank you to Kelsey, Amy, Eric, and the entire ATL DOC team for an unforgettable festival experience. #DadGenes #AtlantaDocumentaryFilmFestival #ATLDoc #documentary

Event photo where I endearingly look like a retired headbangers ball VJ host who now owns a bar in Amsterdam :) portraits credit: Thessaloniki Film Festival / Studio Aris Rammos @filmfestivalgr #TiDF28

Still giddy about our sold out show at the Thessaloniki Doc fest in Greece last week :) My brain is still sloshy from jet lag but this fest knows how to spoil filmmakers :) @filmfestivalgr #TiDF28

Who do I know in Thessaloniki or Amsterdam? First to hang out. Second to tell me how to correctly pronounce Thessaloniki? :)

Come express you lymph glands with us in the pit :) Here Comes The Hooch goes on at 9pm. You manically buy all our records by 9:30pm :)

Thanks for coming out to our show. We had DIY Karaoke b/c we are too lazy to remember our own lyrics. Everyone got waffle hickies and went home with awkward questions 🙂 Next show is Feb 21 at the Kraken 🙂

Thanks for coming out to our show. We had DIY Karaoke b/c we are too lazy to remember our own lyrics. Everyone got waffle hickies and went home with awkward questions :) Next show is Feb 21 at the Kraken :)

We play a very early Super Bowl half time show this Saturday at Orient Express in SODO. We break strings at 8pm.

What a festival! Our World Premiere at @danceswithfilms New York last weekend was everything we could have hoped for – a packed house, incredible Q&A, and so much love in the room – matched by stellar critical reviews. Huge thanks to our amazing crew: director @craigdowning , editor @honeybarger , and producer Matt Isaac – and we’re also thrilled that our incredible production sound recordist @markmaloof could join us! Much appreciation for @jackietepper and the DWF documentary programming team for believing in our film. @dadgenesmovie is officially out in the world. Europe, we're coming for you next! (Another major festival announcement coming soon.) #DancesWithFilms #DadGenes

MOVIE REVIEW Dad Genes NR - 4 out of 5 stars Genre: Documentary Year Released: 2026 Runtime: 1h 5m Director(s): Craig Downing Where to Watch: shown at the 2026 Dances with Films New York RAVING REVIEW: What happens when a past decision, once thought inconsequential, suddenly ‘demands’ accountability decades later? That question is at the center of DAD GENES, a documentary that is never sensationalistic even as it tells a story that feels tailor-made for it. In an era where DNA tests casually rewrite family histories and private lives can become public property overnight, Craig Downing’s film chooses a more restrained, human-scale approach. It isn’t interested in shock; it’s interested in what people do after the shock has passed. At its core, DAD GENES follows Aaron Long, a former sperm donor whose mid-1990s year-long decision to donate becomes unexpectedly consequential once consumer DNA testing reconnects him with biological children he never anticipated meeting. That premise alone could push the film toward exploitation. Instead, Downing frames the story as an evolving emotional negotiation, not a twist-driven revelation. The documentary’s strength lies in its patience, allowing relationships to form, sometimes awkwardly, imperfectly, and even without clear emotional signposts. One of the film’s most effective choices is its refusal to define “family” in any hard terms. Rather than arriving with an ideological stance, DAD GENES documents a process. Aaron’s life doesn’t pivot from solitude to fulfillment; it becomes messier, more crowded, and more uncertain. The film observes this shift without romanticizing it. Living arrangements change, emotional boundaries blur, and roles that were never expected are suddenly assumed. Fatherhood here is not a title earned or bestowed; it’s something explored, step by step. Downing’s direction emphasizes observation over interrogation. Interviews are conversational rather than confrontational, and the camera rarely pushes. This approach gives the film its warmth, but it also introduces its most notable limitation... My full review on www.OHMR.us #OverlyHonestReviews #dadgenes #danceswithfilms

Who do I know in NYC who wants to hang and/or watch our awkwardly human movie have its world premiere this Friday? /dad-genes/