Private Project

Blood Friends

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. With 32 confirmed siblings (and growing), they have yearly reunions where they continue deepen their connection to each other and 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.

  • Hayley Ulmer (she/her)
    Director/Producer
  • Sam McCoy (they/them)
    Director/Producer
  • Anh Vu (he/him)
    Director of Photography
  • Megan Miller (she/her)
    Editor
  • Katie Spear (she/her)
    Assistant Editor
  • Nathan Krauss (he/him)
    Additional Cinematography
  • John Ricardel (he/him)
    Additional Cinematography
  • Genna Edwards (she/her)
    Sound
  • Elias Rivera (they/them)
    Sound
  • Aditi Sridhar (she/her)
    Production Coordinator
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2025
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.66
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography

Hayley is an NYC based producer and production manager. She got her start in film working in the art department on various commercials and transitioned into production from there. She has worked as a PM on a variety of corporate and commercial projects, as well as a producer on various short films. Along with her frequent collaborators, co-director Sam McCoy and Anh Vu, she produced her first feature film Thanks to Her, released online in 2024.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Since finding my donor siblings, I was curious about the ways in which we were drawn to each other. While I recognize the variety of problems that exist within the fertility industry, the films I saw about it were sensationalized and were based on crimes, loss of autonomy, and trauma. While all of my siblings have dealt with these issues, my relationships with them never felt the way the films depicted. We are not just products, not just results of an unregulated industry - we are people.

I have always had difficulty articulating the feeling that we get when we are all together. I’ve found two things that govern the half-sibling relationship: difficulty articulating the connection, and a sense that you have to experience it to understand.

Through mostly verite filming and intimate interviews conducted by myself, the film explores the depth, fragility, joy, and particular connection we feel. With the world changing, our understanding of what a family can look like is changing with it. This documentary embraces this progress and explores the nuances, growing pains, and beauty of finding a new way to connect with each other.