An anthology of children's dreams, brought to life by world’s renowned creators & filmmakers.

Every night, children dream impossible stories. They fly. They talk to animals. They discover worlds that don't exist. They become superheroes, encounter monsters, travel through space, turn into dinosaurs, or experience something so wonderfully strange that only a child could have imagined it.

ONCE UPON A NIGHT takes those real dreams and places them in the hands of extraordinary creative voices, who transform them into cinematic short films.

The Format

Each episode features two to three short films, all inspired by a real dream told by a child, approximately 4 to 10 years old.

We meet the child briefly as they begin to tell us their dream. Then their world comes to life.

What follows is a fully realized short film shaped through the signature lens of the creative voice behind it. A hilarious dream might become broad comedy. Another could become a sweeping animated adventure, a miniature superhero epic, a musical, a fantasy, a mystery, an intimate indie film, or something we've never seen before.

At the conclusion of the film, we return to the child whose imagination started it all.

Every Dream, A Different World

The creative possibilities are virtually endless because no two dreams, and no two creative visions, are alike.

The same series could move effortlessly from animation to live action, comedy to adventure, fantasy to science fiction, intimate storytelling to spectacular cinematic worlds. The filmmaker, producer, or storyteller brings the craft, style and vision. The child provides the spark.

The Creative Bench

ONCE UPON A NIGHT is built for range, not gatekeeping. A segment's creative voice could be a celebrated film director, an animator, a documentarian, a marquee producer whose taste alone opens doors, or a major creator with an audience of millions. Any voice with real craft and a distinct point of view has a home in this format.