Frank Barnett in “Love’s Long Shadow”
Frank Barnett, a San Francisco private detective, is pulled into a twisted case in West Texas as he tracks a mythical vial said to hold the secret to true love. As Frank digs deeper, he confronts his past, including a complicated relationship with his fiancée, Lena Mercer, and an unexpected tie to his old friend, Bruce Cummings, Librarian Extraordinaire. With danger closing in and betrayal at every turn, Frank must navigate a web of lies that threatens everything he holds dear. A gripping neo-noir filled with twists, emotion, and suspense.
TRAILER
Daryl Della is a filmmaker raised on Eastwood squints and creature-feature carnage. Originally aiming for a career in animation, Daryl realized it was a hell of a lot more fun, and faster, to throw his friends around than draw 24 frames a second. So he picked up a camera instead.
In 2003, he co-founded Dollars & Donuts Productions, a renegade film collective where old Hollywood charm clashes gleefully with indie rebellion. For over 20 years, Daryl has served as the team’s lead director, editor, and resident not-quite-perfectionist, crafting short films that walk the tightrope between chaos and craft. His work is soaked in cinematic love, laced with mischief, and unafraid to mix high style with low blows. Daryl makes movies the only way he knows how: with heart, humor, and a few bruises along the way.
When we re-made our first film from 2003, “Ninja Killface,” in 2024, it cracked open a door I didn’t expect: the chance to revisit my old, ridiculous, often juvenile characters through a new lens. Frank was the one I couldn’t stop thinking about. Beneath the clichés and cartoon bravado, there was something real trying to claw its way out.
“Love’s Long Shadow” is about giving that pastiche character a soul. It’s still packed with pulp, still silly at times, but now there’s a real emotional engine driving it. Frank’s not just cool anymore. He’s broken, vulnerable, and in love. We wanted the romance to feel honest and the danger to sting.
This one meant something to me. We didn’t just bring Frank back. We gave him a reason to exist.