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DARK SHADOWS AND BEYOND - THE JONATHAN FRID STORY

This first documentary devoted to Canadian-born star Jonathan Frid covers the fascinating life and career of the Shakespearean actor, who became a TV icon in the role of vampire Barnabas Collins on the gothic daytime serial, 'Dark Shadows.' Frid’s portrayal was a key reason the series, which ran from 1966 until 1971, became must-see TV for 20 million daily viewers and has been cited as a key influence for contemporary genre films and series such as 'Twilight', 'True Blood' and 'The Vampires Diaries'.

Frid’s characterization of a vulnerable, guilt ridden monster was forged by his training at RADA in London, Lorne Greene Academy of Radio Arts in Toronto and the Yale School of Drama. This biography of a popular actor evolves into a love letter for the performing arts, exemplified by a man whose devotion to his craft became the driving force in his life.

  • Mary O'Leary
    Director
  • Mary O'Leary
    Producer
    The Young & The Restless; General Hospital; One Life to Live; Another World; Guiding Light
  • Michael Giglio
    Editor
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 41 minutes 47 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 6, 2021
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16 x 9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences ( NATAS)

    Nominee for Outstanding Daytime Special
  • Telly Awards
    Los Angeles
    Silver Award Documentary - Online
  • Something Wicked DocuFest
    Forest Park, GA
    United States
    Two AWARDS: Best Feature Documentary; Best of Festival
  • Aloha Stream Film Festival
    Huntington Beach
    United States
    Best Documentary Feature Film
  • Crown Point International Film Festival
    Chicago
    January 29, 2022
    Two Awards: Best Editing; Best First Time Director (Honorable Mention)
  • Hollywood Gold Awards
    Los Angeles
    Two Awards: Best Producer Documentary Feature; Honorable Mention Feature Documentary
  • IndieEYE Film Awards

    United States
    Award Winner: Best Documentary Feature
  • The IndieFEST FIlm Awards
    La Jolla ,CA
    United States
    May 3, 2022
    Two AWARDS of MERIT: Documentary Feature & Editing
  • New York International Film Awards
    New York CIty
    United States
    Best Producer Documentary Feature
  • Only The Best International Film Awards
    Miami, FL
    United States
    February 2022
    4 JURY AWARDS: Best Documentary Feature; Best First Time Director; Best Producer; Best Editing
  • San Francisco International Film Awards
    San Francisco
    United States
    Best Producer Documentary Feature
  • The Seattle Film Festival
    Seattle
    United States
    Best Director Documentary Feature
  • Vegas Movie Awards
    Las Vegas
    United States
    3 Awards for Excellence: Best Documentary Feature; Best Producer; Best Director (Feature); and A Prestige Award: Best Woman Filmmaker
  • Birmingham Film & Television Festival
    Birmingham
    United Kingdom
    May 3, 2022
    FINALIST: Feature Documentary Film
  • Bright International Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    December 28, 2021
    Award: Best Narrative Documentary
  • TMFF (The Monthly Film Festival)
    Glasgow
    United Kingdom
    February 2022
    Two AWARDS: 3rd Place Best Feature Film; The Audience Award
  • DMOFF (Direct Monthly Online Film Festival )
    Canton, MI
    United States
    May 3, 2022
    AWARD: Audience Choice Award
  • Chicago Indie FIlm Awards
    Chicago, IL
    United States
    OFFICAL SELECTION
  • International Manhattan Film Awards
    New York CIty
    Official Selection
  • Maryland Internationl FIlm Festival
    Hagerstown, MD
    United States
    OFFICAL SELECTION
  • SoCal Film Awards
    Huntington Beach
    United States
    Official Selection
  • Santa Barbara Film Awards
    Santa Barbara, CA
    United States
    OFFICAL SELECTION
  • South America Awards
    Sao Paulo
    Brazil
    Official Nominee
  • Toronto Interantional Women's FIlm Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    OFFICAL SELECTION
  • Toronto Film Magazine Festival
    Toronto
    Canada
    Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • MPI Media Group
    Distributor
    Country: United States
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Mary O'Leary

MARY O'LEARY is a Daytime Emmy Winning producer, who has worked on five daytime television dramas: "Guiding Light;" "Another World;" "One Life to Live;" "General Hospital;" and "The Young & The Restless." "Dark Shadows And Beyond - The Jonathan Frid Story" is her first documentary. She conceived, directed and produced the feature length film.

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Director Statement

He was to television soap operas what Boris Karloff was to classic horror movies. To legions of fans, Jonathan Frid will always be remembered as Barnabas Collins, the soulful "Dark Shadows" vampire, who became an unlikely teen heartthrob in the late 1960s. Fourteen years after the show's cancellation, I got to know the man beneath the vampire's cloak and brought him back into the public eye, on his own terms. Today, after years of archival research, interviews with family, friends and co-stars, and the objective eye of editor/post producer Michael Giglio, I have crafted a tale of this actor’s curious journey.