BFF26 Once Upon a Time in a Cinema
BFF26 Once Upon a Time in a Cinema
Australian Premiere
A nostalgic comedy about a Friday night screening from hell at a small-town cinema, Once Upon a Time in A Cinema is a powerful love letter to the cinema experience and a heart-warming nostalgic recreation of a time gone by, from acclaimed Irish writer-director David Gleeson (Tolkien).
Set over the course of one outrageously eventful evening in 1980s Ireland, beleaguered cinema owner/manager Earl Clancy (Colin Morgan, Belfast) must balance with the legacy of the past and the challenges of the future as he faces a myriad of disasters, any one of which could sink him and his cinema. As he grapples with his decision to sell the cinema to a shady politician, he begins to question whether he can walk away from the community that has been his life’s passion.
A deeply personal film drawing from Gleeson's own experience growing up in a family of cinema owners, Once Upon a Time in A Cinema is a funny and touching tribute to cinema, the community formed and the stories told.
“A well-crafted, beautifully shot ode to film, cinema, and the idea that sometimes, the value of a building is much more than the sum of its parts.” – Film Threat
OFFICAL SELECTION - Dublin International Film Festival 2026 (Opening Night Film)