Once Upon A Time In A Cinema comes to Galway movie theatres

A new film which acts as a love letter to Irish cinema will be screened across Galway this May, with a brilliant Irish cast and an editor from Galway! Find out more here...

Advertisement

A dramatic night at the movies meets a powerful love letter to the cinema experience in Once Upon A Time In A Cinema, the new feature from acclaimed filmmaker David Gleeson (Tolkien, Don’t Go, The Front Line, Cowboys & Angels). John Murphy from Milltown in Galway is Editor on the film (Saipan, The Quiet Girl)

Set over the course of one eventful evening in a cinema in 1980s Ireland, a cinema owner wrestles with the legacy of the past and the challenges of the future in a drama that is funny, wise and rings of authenticity.

Featuring a blend of some of Ireland’s most-respected actors and exciting new talent, Once Upon A Time In A Cinema is set over one night at the movies - where the plot twists offscreen are as surprising as any of those onscreen. Renowned Irish actor Colin Morgan (Belfast, Merlin) plays Earl Clancy, the manager of a small-town cinema who is firefighting the Friday night from hell while mulling over the sale of his cinema to a shady politician. Like James Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life, his journey leads him to realise his value to the community.

Speaking on the upcoming release, Director Gleeson commented; "Once Upon A Time In A Cinema is a love letter to an experience that’s been woven into the Irish soul for a hundred years, a film that celebrates the rollercoaster of emotion that has forever bonded us in the company of strangers. On May 1st, it is my deepest honour to invite audiences across Ireland to rediscover those profound connections, those close bonds we yearn for today more than ever. So come inside and take a seat. In the darkness, no one can see you’re crying."

Backed by Screen Ireland and Myriad Pictures, Once Upon A Time In A Cinema is a European co-production from Ireland’s Wide Eye Films Ltd, Germany’s Tossell Pictures and Umedia in Belgium. It is produced by Nathalie Lichtenthaeler and Judy Tossell. The cast includes Colin Morgan, Calam Lynch, Stanley Townsend, India Mullen, Clara Crichton and Niamh Cusack.

Break Out Pictures will release the film in Ireland on May 1st 2026. Book your ticket here.