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Eli Hiller’s Becoming Us is the winner of CAAM’s 2026 Ready, Set, Pitch!, taking home a $10,000 cash award.
This feature documentary brings into perspective and redefines what it means to be family and Filipino. After receiving results from a DNA test, Hiller, who is mixed-race, documents his journey of seeking his four donor-conceived siblings and biological father.
Hiller is one of three 2026 CAAM Fellows who participated in Ready, Set, Pitch! held online on September 22. Alongside him were fellow Midwestern filmmakers, Asuka Lin presenting Chicago to Okinawa, and Cindy Martin presenting, Love is a Stranger.
They were mentored by filmmakers Anuradha Rana, Musa Syeed, and Shuling Yong, and coached by Maria Santos, who is also the Funds Program Officer at International Documentary Association (IDA).
The jury included ITVS Supervising Producer Jun Stinson Yamagishi, SFFilm Director of Artistic Development Masashi Niwano, Sundance Institute’s Director of Artist Accelerator Hajnal Molnar-Szakacs, and FilmNorth Executive Director Andrew Peterson.
Jury Notes
In a task that proved to be difficult for the jury over the “deep and complex connections [the] stories revealed” as Yamagishi commented, Hiller’s project was selected as “a film that I think many people will be able to connect with”.
Niwano considered Hiller’s pitch as simply “pitch perfect”, saying, “I was impressed with his comfort talking about his experiences, the vision for the film and its potential to be part of a global conversation on redefining what is family and home.”
“Eli’s pitch for Becoming Us was exceptionally strong and clear,” said Hajnal Molnar-Szakacs, Director of Artistic Accelerator at the Sundance Institute. “The story addresses a timely and universal exploration of what defines a family, grounding a unique personal experience in broad, relatable themes.”
Power in Speaking About a Story That is Part of Your Own Life
Hiller was thrilled by the news, finding that the hours spent rehearsing the pitch were worth it. He compared pitching to that of a theatrical performance, via building a shared energy between oneself and the audience, all the while conveying the story, access, visual approach, and plan for completing the film. Add the fact that it’s a personal story he was pitching, and to him, it felt like everything was at stake.
“There is also so much power in speaking about a story that is part of your own life,” Hiller added. “As a filmmaker, it can be easy to hide behind slides and a trailer when presenting. I really wanted to push myself to own my story, speak confidently, and pitch this film without the distractions of visual material. I wanted the audience to connect with the story through my raw emotions and hand gestures, and to create drama and tension with my voice.”
Becoming Us will be Hiller’s feature film debut. It has also received support from the Sundance Institute, Firelight Media, and the Wexner Center for the Arts.
The Columbus-based director and photographer has had his photojournalism featured in The New York Times, Time Magazine, The Washington Post, AFP, and Getty Images. He has been working in video production for nearly a decade, creating branded documentaries for non-profits and corporate clients.
The 2026 CAAM Fellowship Program is made possible with support from The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) and other generous funders.
Get to Know the 2026 CAAM Fellows
Learn About the 2026 CAAM Mentors