Becoming Us
Columbus, Ohio | Film Feature
Documentary, Family
This film follows how a family of donor-conceived siblings and their biological father build a new family and reclaim their own Filipino-American identities. Together, they confront assimilation, cultural erasure, and inherited wounds as they attempt to define family, parenthood, and belonging.
Becoming Us
Columbus, Ohio | Film Feature
Documentary, Family
1 Campaigns | Ohio, United States
20 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$1,075
Goal: $2,700 for production
This film follows how a family of donor-conceived siblings and their biological father build a new family and reclaim their own Filipino-American identities. Together, they confront assimilation, cultural erasure, and inherited wounds as they attempt to define family, parenthood, and belonging.
Participating In
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
(First photo shows the five siblings just smiling and posing in front of a mirror with each other, also showing Eli holding up the video camera)
ABOUT THE FILM
Five donor-conceived siblings, their mothers, and their newfound biological father unite through a DNA test, forging a path to redefine family. Together, they recreate childhood memories on home videos to heal emotional wounds, and embrace their Filipino-American heritage, reconnect with ancestral roots and reshape their shared identity.
This film explores three themes: reclaiming Filipino-American identities, redefining family with donor siblings and a biological father, and healing emotional wounds from the donor insemination process. These themes emerge through interviews, verité footage capturing evolving relationships, and travel to the ancestral home in the Philippines.
Eli’s journey serves as the backbone of the film. Born to a single white mother who chose a Filipino sperm donor, he grew up in Ohio disconnected from his Filipino heritage. In 2016, his first trip to the Philippines sparked a deep curiosity about his origins. A year later, a DNA test led him to his donor-conceived sister, Jenna. This discovery opened the door to more siblings—Caden, Kenny, and Jordain—found through the Donor Sibling Registry and DNA testing sites. After returning to the U.S., Eli eventually located their biological father, Danilo, through a DNA match with his niece.
A family-oriented techie, Danilo was initially shocked but ultimately embraced his donor-conceived children. The film follows how he navigates fatherhood with each of them.
A key creative element of the film involves reimagining their shared history through fictional childhood memories filmed on home video tapes. Shot at their grandfather’s house, this approach fosters healing by blending imagined pasts with real-life stories.
The journey culminates in 2026, when the family travels to the Philippines together, visiting ancestral towns, meeting relatives, and fully immersing in their heritage.
(Second photo shows four siblings--Caden, Jenna, Jordain, and Kenny--standing in a circle looking at each other while out in the wintry forest)
WHY MAKE THIS FILM (Words from Eli, the director)
As a donor-conceived individual who is a member of the community being filmed, I understand the emotions of guilt, confusion, and happiness that come with this experience. As the eldest, I want to provide guidance to my younger siblings as they embark on their own journeys of self-discovery.
My ultimate goal is to provide insight and understanding to others who are seeking their own paths of self-discovery through this film.The documentary will explore themes such as navigating a new family structure, intergenerational migration, the shared curiosity about our biological father, and the disillusionment of the American dream. However, I want to channel these discussions through myself to achieve a level of intimacy compared to previous donor-conception films.
At 30, my experiences in the Philippines have strengthened my identity, guiding my support for my siblings as they navigate their Filipino heritage. As the narrative's author, cameraman, and mediator among my family members, I weave our stories together in the film. Unlike most Filipino-Americans, I did not receive my Filipino knowledge through familial ties but through direct exposure to communities in Manila. The artists and activists who helped me navigate my new world, its history, politics, and everyday survival, were my first Filipino family. I hope to guide my donor-conceived siblings through their own personal transformations through this documentary.
(Third photo shows a silhouette of the donor father, Danilo, while he stands with his feet in a lake and his back against the camera during sunset. His silhouette is framed by plants all around him.)
WHY WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT (Words from Loi, the producer)
Family. Beyond blood and by choice. That's what this film is about to me. All of them could've just acknowledged one another without building relationships with each other. But they are choosing to do that. As someone who was born and raised in the Philippines and moved to the U.S. by myself, I resonate deeply with this story. And I'd like to believe that that's why Sundance, Firelight Media, Berkeley Film Foundation, Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, Ohio Humanities, and more have chosen to support us as well because of the values embedded in the story.
And so we now ask for your support to help us bridge the gap with updating our work sample and advancing our production. This year, we're finishing follow-up filming and interviews with all family members, and most critically is to film with Jordain who lives abroad. We are also speaking with potential post production funders and distributors whose primary ask for the next couple of months is for us to revise our work sample to show updated storylines, pacing, and visual style. Given the success of our previous work sample in fundraising, we are choosing to re-hire our work sample editor based in the Philippines. It's a win-win to be able to pay her fairly and above her ask, and for us to have an editorial perspective from the homeland.
As for timeline, we're aiming to share the completed revised work sample with our supporters and potential funders by May 2026. We'll provide updates on the Japan filming and submitted funding applications throughout the year.
Later this year, after all of our follow-up filming, we'll be entering our official post production phase by November 2026 then filming the Philippine trip in December 2026. Next year is all about editing and wrapping the film for its world premiere in 2028! We have a long way to go, and we hope you join us for the ride!
BE PART OF THIS SUNDANCE-SUPPORTED JOURNEY
We're learning how to build our audience, so we hope for your engagement! Our FB and IG: @becomingusfilm
We always appreciate your social media shoutouts as proud supporters of the film and encouraging your own families and friends and everyone in between and beyond to be part of this reimagining!
Feel free to use this or rephrase to your own liking/voice:
"I just chose to be part of the Becoming Us family! Much like a true Filipino clan, this beloved Sundance-supported film needs more titas and titos, ates and kuyas, and insans to support its journey. By sharing this post and donating however much you can (and getting exclusive perks!), you're contributing to impactful storytelling that gets us closer to the finish line. So thank you: https://seedandspark.com/fund/becomingus2#story"
Disclaimer Use of Generative AI in this campaign: We used ChatGPT to create temporary graphics to illustrate the incentives/perks, which we plan to replace with personalized images from the characters. Aside from that, AI was not used in any other aspect of this campaign or in any aspect of the film.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Revised Work Sample Editor
Costs $1,500
We are raising to re-hire our Philippine-based editor to craft a 20-minute work sample to submit to major funding opportunities this 2026.
Roundtrip Flight Ticket - Columbus, USA - Tokyo, Japan
Costs $1,200
We need to film verité of Eli with Jordain, one of the main characters and Eli's sister who lives in Tokyo, Japan.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Loi Ameera Almeron is a 2025-26 Sundance Documentary Producers Lab fellow and Doc Fund Grantee, the 2024 Elevate Award winner from the Berkeley Film Foundation and Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, a Saul Zaentz Emerging Filmmaker Fellow with BAVC Media, and a FOCAL International nominee. With her roots in Philippine documentary filmmaking, her work focuses on investigative, historical, and personal documentaries on civil and disability rights, immigration and race, and science and society. She has produced and post-produced award-winning films for PBS, AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video, Good Docs, and various international film festivals, including two consecutive world premieres at Sundance. Loi has also edited a Student Academy Award winner and an NAACP Image Award nominee.
Gordon Quinn, a luminary in documentary filmmaking and co-founder of Kartemquin Films, brings extensive experience as the executive producer for Becoming Us. Renowned for Hoop Dreams (1994), his discerning storytelling and commitment to social justice ensure authenticity in your documentary journey. Quinn's impactful contributions extend to Minding the Gap (2018), A Compassionate Spy (2022), Finding Yingying (2020), Unapologetic (2020), and more. Through diverse projects, he consistently fosters narratives with profound social relevance and authenticity, making Becoming Us a testament to his seasoned expertise.
Cameron James Henderson is a cinematographer based in Columbus, Ohio. Henderson has worked in documentary film for several years after graduating from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Henderson has worked on a number of documentary projects, most notably the PBS documentary “Redlining: Inequality in Dayton and Springfield,” as well as “Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life.” Henderson will serve as second DOP and cameraperson.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
(First photo shows the five siblings just smiling and posing in front of a mirror with each other, also showing Eli holding up the video camera)
ABOUT THE FILM
Five donor-conceived siblings, their mothers, and their newfound biological father unite through a DNA test, forging a path to redefine family. Together, they recreate childhood memories on home videos to heal emotional wounds, and embrace their Filipino-American heritage, reconnect with ancestral roots and reshape their shared identity.
This film explores three themes: reclaiming Filipino-American identities, redefining family with donor siblings and a biological father, and healing emotional wounds from the donor insemination process. These themes emerge through interviews, verité footage capturing evolving relationships, and travel to the ancestral home in the Philippines.
Eli’s journey serves as the backbone of the film. Born to a single white mother who chose a Filipino sperm donor, he grew up in Ohio disconnected from his Filipino heritage. In 2016, his first trip to the Philippines sparked a deep curiosity about his origins. A year later, a DNA test led him to his donor-conceived sister, Jenna. This discovery opened the door to more siblings—Caden, Kenny, and Jordain—found through the Donor Sibling Registry and DNA testing sites. After returning to the U.S., Eli eventually located their biological father, Danilo, through a DNA match with his niece.
A family-oriented techie, Danilo was initially shocked but ultimately embraced his donor-conceived children. The film follows how he navigates fatherhood with each of them.
A key creative element of the film involves reimagining their shared history through fictional childhood memories filmed on home video tapes. Shot at their grandfather’s house, this approach fosters healing by blending imagined pasts with real-life stories.
The journey culminates in 2026, when the family travels to the Philippines together, visiting ancestral towns, meeting relatives, and fully immersing in their heritage.
(Second photo shows four siblings--Caden, Jenna, Jordain, and Kenny--standing in a circle looking at each other while out in the wintry forest)
WHY MAKE THIS FILM (Words from Eli, the director)
As a donor-conceived individual who is a member of the community being filmed, I understand the emotions of guilt, confusion, and happiness that come with this experience. As the eldest, I want to provide guidance to my younger siblings as they embark on their own journeys of self-discovery.
My ultimate goal is to provide insight and understanding to others who are seeking their own paths of self-discovery through this film.The documentary will explore themes such as navigating a new family structure, intergenerational migration, the shared curiosity about our biological father, and the disillusionment of the American dream. However, I want to channel these discussions through myself to achieve a level of intimacy compared to previous donor-conception films.
At 30, my experiences in the Philippines have strengthened my identity, guiding my support for my siblings as they navigate their Filipino heritage. As the narrative's author, cameraman, and mediator among my family members, I weave our stories together in the film. Unlike most Filipino-Americans, I did not receive my Filipino knowledge through familial ties but through direct exposure to communities in Manila. The artists and activists who helped me navigate my new world, its history, politics, and everyday survival, were my first Filipino family. I hope to guide my donor-conceived siblings through their own personal transformations through this documentary.
(Third photo shows a silhouette of the donor father, Danilo, while he stands with his feet in a lake and his back against the camera during sunset. His silhouette is framed by plants all around him.)
WHY WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT (Words from Loi, the producer)
Family. Beyond blood and by choice. That's what this film is about to me. All of them could've just acknowledged one another without building relationships with each other. But they are choosing to do that. As someone who was born and raised in the Philippines and moved to the U.S. by myself, I resonate deeply with this story. And I'd like to believe that that's why Sundance, Firelight Media, Berkeley Film Foundation, Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, Ohio Humanities, and more have chosen to support us as well because of the values embedded in the story.
And so we now ask for your support to help us bridge the gap with updating our work sample and advancing our production. This year, we're finishing follow-up filming and interviews with all family members, and most critically is to film with Jordain who lives abroad. We are also speaking with potential post production funders and distributors whose primary ask for the next couple of months is for us to revise our work sample to show updated storylines, pacing, and visual style. Given the success of our previous work sample in fundraising, we are choosing to re-hire our work sample editor based in the Philippines. It's a win-win to be able to pay her fairly and above her ask, and for us to have an editorial perspective from the homeland.
As for timeline, we're aiming to share the completed revised work sample with our supporters and potential funders by May 2026. We'll provide updates on the Japan filming and submitted funding applications throughout the year.
Later this year, after all of our follow-up filming, we'll be entering our official post production phase by November 2026 then filming the Philippine trip in December 2026. Next year is all about editing and wrapping the film for its world premiere in 2028! We have a long way to go, and we hope you join us for the ride!
BE PART OF THIS SUNDANCE-SUPPORTED JOURNEY
We're learning how to build our audience, so we hope for your engagement! Our FB and IG: @becomingusfilm
We always appreciate your social media shoutouts as proud supporters of the film and encouraging your own families and friends and everyone in between and beyond to be part of this reimagining!
Feel free to use this or rephrase to your own liking/voice:
"I just chose to be part of the Becoming Us family! Much like a true Filipino clan, this beloved Sundance-supported film needs more titas and titos, ates and kuyas, and insans to support its journey. By sharing this post and donating however much you can (and getting exclusive perks!), you're contributing to impactful storytelling that gets us closer to the finish line. So thank you: https://seedandspark.com/fund/becomingus2#story"
Disclaimer Use of Generative AI in this campaign: We used ChatGPT to create temporary graphics to illustrate the incentives/perks, which we plan to replace with personalized images from the characters. Aside from that, AI was not used in any other aspect of this campaign or in any aspect of the film.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Revised Work Sample Editor
Costs $1,500
We are raising to re-hire our Philippine-based editor to craft a 20-minute work sample to submit to major funding opportunities this 2026.
Roundtrip Flight Ticket - Columbus, USA - Tokyo, Japan
Costs $1,200
We need to film verité of Eli with Jordain, one of the main characters and Eli's sister who lives in Tokyo, Japan.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Loi Ameera Almeron is a 2025-26 Sundance Documentary Producers Lab fellow and Doc Fund Grantee, the 2024 Elevate Award winner from the Berkeley Film Foundation and Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, a Saul Zaentz Emerging Filmmaker Fellow with BAVC Media, and a FOCAL International nominee. With her roots in Philippine documentary filmmaking, her work focuses on investigative, historical, and personal documentaries on civil and disability rights, immigration and race, and science and society. She has produced and post-produced award-winning films for PBS, AppleTV, Netflix, Prime Video, Good Docs, and various international film festivals, including two consecutive world premieres at Sundance. Loi has also edited a Student Academy Award winner and an NAACP Image Award nominee.
Gordon Quinn, a luminary in documentary filmmaking and co-founder of Kartemquin Films, brings extensive experience as the executive producer for Becoming Us. Renowned for Hoop Dreams (1994), his discerning storytelling and commitment to social justice ensure authenticity in your documentary journey. Quinn's impactful contributions extend to Minding the Gap (2018), A Compassionate Spy (2022), Finding Yingying (2020), Unapologetic (2020), and more. Through diverse projects, he consistently fosters narratives with profound social relevance and authenticity, making Becoming Us a testament to his seasoned expertise.
Cameron James Henderson is a cinematographer based in Columbus, Ohio. Henderson has worked in documentary film for several years after graduating from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Henderson has worked on a number of documentary projects, most notably the PBS documentary “Redlining: Inequality in Dayton and Springfield,” as well as “Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life.” Henderson will serve as second DOP and cameraperson.