Once, Here (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

Once, Here follows a young woman through one afternoon in a hometown that is changing around her. Directed by Jaydee Alberto, the nine-minute short film uses an unexpected encounter as the starting point for a story told in Tagalog and English.

Once, Here is a 2026 short film directed by Jaydee Alberto. Running for nine minutes, it centers on a young woman whose afternoon takes an unexpected turn after an encounter in her hometown.

The film’s premise places personal experience alongside a changing local landscape. With dialogue in Tagalog and English, it presents a compact, place-based story focused on movement, memory and an afternoon that does not unfold as expected.

Once, Here movie details

Story without spoilers

The story follows Tina, a young woman who has an unexpected encounter before spending the afternoon wandering through the changing landscape of her hometown. The supplied synopsis keeps the nature of the encounter and the events that follow undisclosed, so the film’s short runtime leaves room for a focused, atmospheric account of one person moving through a familiar but shifting place.

What to expect

As a nine-minute short built around a single afternoon, Once, Here is positioned as a concise character-centered film rather than a broad, plot-heavy feature. Its setting is central to the premise: Tina’s wandering through her changing hometown provides the film’s main narrative framework. The use of both Tagalog and English adds a bilingual context, while the unexpected encounter supplies the story’s initial turning point.

Cast and creative team

Allona Arceo plays Tina, the young woman at the center of the story. Ice Trajano appears as Aaron, Abigayle Bonilla plays Millie, and Kisha Santiago is credited as Girl. Jaydee Alberto directs the film. No writer is listed in the supplied credits.

• Allona Arceo as Tina
• Ice Trajano as Aaron
• Abigayle Bonilla as Millie
• Kisha Santiago as Girl

Release and production context

Once, Here is listed as a 2026 release, with a release date of November 12, 2026. It has a runtime of nine minutes and is presented in Tagalog and English. The supplied information does not identify a country, production company or additional production credits.

Reported production figures:
Budget $100

Movies Dock view

With its brief runtime and tightly defined premise, Once, Here offers a small-scale story built around an unexpected meeting and a walk through a hometown in transition. The film’s appeal is likely to depend on how fully its short form develops that setting and its central character, details not provided in the available information.

Film data:
TMDB