Episode
Presents: Director/Writer David Gleeson on 'Once Upon a Time in a Cinema'
- Podcast
- Film Ireland Podcast
- Published
- Apr 24, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2613
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://www.filmireland.net/podcast-director-writer-david-gleeson-once-upon-a-time-in-a-cinema
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Summary
In this episode of the Film Ireland podcast, Gemma Creagh catches up with writer/director David Gleeson ahead of the release of his semi-autobiographical feature Once Upon a Time in a Cinema . Growing up in a family-run cinema, he was immersed in the magic of the big screen...an influence that continues to shape his work today. He talks about his unusual start in the industry (including working in oil exploration in the Arctic Circle) and how he made the transition to selling scripts in the US. Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or watch the original video recording here: https://www.filmireland.net/podcast-director-writer-david-gleeson-once-upon-a-time-in-a-cinema 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 ). 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 r…