Holly Dale facts for kids

Holly Dale (born December 23, 1953) is a Canadian filmmaker and television director. A filmmaker is someone who makes movies, and Dale has worked as a director, producer, writer, and editor.

For many years, she worked closely with her friend and former classmate, Janis Cole. Together, they created several well-known documentary films. Their most famous movies include The Thin Line (1977), P4W: Prison for Women (1981), and ... on Davie (1984).

Dale's work has been shown at film festivals all over the world. She has won many awards, including a Gemini Award for Best Documentary for P4W: Prison for Women.

Early Life and School

Holly Dale grew up in Toronto, Ontario. As a teenager, she decided to live on her own. To support herself, she took on different jobs in downtown Toronto.

In the mid-1970s, Dale enrolled in the film program at Sheridan College. There, she met Janis Cole. They became partners in filmmaking and worked together for the next 20 years.

Career in Film and Television

Making a Difference with Documentaries

Dale started her career making documentaries, often with very little money. She and Cole shared many jobs, including writing, directing, and editing. Their films often focused on people whose stories were not usually told. They wanted to show the unfairness that some groups in society faced. Because they focused on these important issues, they became known as filmmakers who cared about social justice.

Famous Films

Dale and Cole's first short film was Cream Soda (1976). It showed the difficult working conditions for women in certain jobs in Toronto. Another early film, The Thin Line (1977), told the story of people living in a high-security hospital. Dale and Cole wanted the audience to see the patients as regular people, not just focus on their problems.

This film led them to make their first full-length documentary, P4W: Prison for Women (1981). It took them four years to get permission to film inside a real women's prison in Kingston, Ontario. The movie showed the daily lives of the inmates and their friendships. The film was a big success and won several awards, including a Genie Award in 1982.

Directing for Television

Later in her career, Dale began directing for television. She has worked on many popular Canadian and American TV shows. Some of the shows she has directed episodes for include:

• Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye
• Cold Case
• Being Erica
• NCIS
• Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Castle
• Chicago Fire
• Batwoman
• Transplant

Dale and Cole also started their own production company called Spectrum Films in Toronto.

Selected Filmography

Holly Dale has directed many films and television episodes. Here are some of her most well-known projects.

Films

• Cream Soda (1975)
• The Thin Line (1977)
• P4W: Prison for Women (1981)
• ... on Davie (1984)
• Calling the Shots (1988)
• Blood and Donuts (1995)
• Absolution (2006)

Television Shows

• Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye (2003-2005)
• Cold Case (2007-2008)
• Durham County (2007)
• Flashpoint (2008)
• Being Erica (2009-2010)
• Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-2014)
• NCIS (2013-2015)
• Mary ... People (2017)
• The X-Files (2018)
• Batwoman (2019-2022)
• Transplant (2020)
• Will Trent (2023-2025)

Awards and Nominations

Holly Dale has been recognized many times for her excellent work in film and television.

See also

• List of female film and television directors
• List of lesbian filmmakers
• List of LGBT-related films directed by women