by FilmInk Staff<\/p>\n
Six-part series\u00a0Ina<\/a>, created by writer\/director\u00a0Rachel Maxine Anderson, has been selected to world premiere in Official Competition at CANNESERIES this April before launching online June 12.<\/p>\n One of only six short form series selected worldwide to compete at the prestigious international event on the French Riviera,\u00a0Ina\u00a0is the only Australian series to be selected in 2026, and is the festival\u2019s first project to centre the Filipino diaspora.<\/p>\n A Filipino-Australian comedy-drama,\u00a0Ina\u00a0explores the complexities of family, culture, and identity. The Brisbane-made series follows Madeline, an ambitious 29-year-old Filipino-Australian television producer whose daytime cooking show is in freefall.<\/p>\n When she loses her guest chef on the morning of a critical shoot, Madeline makes the risky decision to cast the mother she normally keeps at a distance, Gloria \u2013 who also happens to be the studio\u2019s cleaner, unbeknownst to the rest of the crew.<\/p>\n Set over the course of a single chaotic shoot day, the series blends high-stakes workplace comedy with a deeply personal story of cultural reconnection and familial healing, as family tensions collide under the pressure of television production.<\/p>\n Starring\u00a0Lena Cruz\u00a0(In Limbo,\u00a0Wellmania,\u00a0The Unusual Suspects) and introducing\u00a0Triona Calimbayan-Giles\u00a0in her debut leading role,\u00a0Ina\u00a0is produced by\u00a0Rae Choi\u00a0of Limina Pictures and\u00a0Danielle Redford\u00a0of Contra Stories, with\u00a0Kerrin McNeil\u00a0as Executive Producer and celebrated Filipino actress\u00a0Ruby Ruiz\u00a0(Expats,\u00a0First Light) also attached as Executive Producer.<\/p>\n A four-person\u00a0Ina\u00a0team, all Asian Australian women creatives, are confirmed to travel to France for the event: Writer\/director Rachel Maxine Anderson, stars Lena Cruz, Triona Calimbayan-Giles and producer Rae Choi.<\/p>\n Writer\/director Rachel Maxine Anderson: \u201cJust like our protagonist Madeline, it feels urgent that I reclaim my cultural identity after a lifetime of its erasure. Growing up, I watched my Filipino mother navigate the quiet, relentless pressure to assimilate. As that connection to culture began to melt away, my mother \u2013 my only bridge to my culture \u2013 was becoming \u2018Australian.\u2019 I followed her lead, only to find myself in my twenties realising that you cannot deny what is written in your DNA. This is the story that I want to share with other mixed-race Australians just like me who have never seen their unsteady steps towards understanding themselves reflected on screen. This is the show I\u2019ve needed to watch my whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n Producer Rae Choi:\u00a0\u201cIna\u00a0exists in the space between \u2013 between cultures, between generations, between the versions of ourselves we inherit and the ones we try to become. There\u2019s a deep creative urgency that comes from living in that tension. We wanted to harness that into something both intimate and expansive \u2013 a culturally specific story with the power to travel, made accessible to audiences everywhere through its online release.\u201d<\/p>\n Producer Danielle Redford:\u00a0\u201cJourneying with Rachel Maxine Anderson and our wider producing team has been a deeply rewarding experience personally, offering a first-hand seat to what\u2019s possible when authorial vision is grounded in warm, empathetic storytelling.\u00a0Ina\u00a0is both tender and fierce, and we can\u2019t wait for a global audience to experience the specificity of Anderson\u2019s Australian-Filipino storytelling on CANNESERIES\u2019 world stage.\u201d<\/p>\n Executive Producer Kerrin McNeil:\u00a0\u201cIna\u00a0is exactly the type of project the Australian film and television industry has been asking for, and we\u2019re grateful to Screen Australia and Screen Queensland for supporting its production. It\u2019s a bold, authored story that speaks directly to next-generation audiences who are online first. I\u2019m thrilled to be supporting this team of talented filmmakers now and into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n Screen Australia Director of Narrative Content, Louise Gough:\u00a0\u201cIna\u2019s selection at CANNESERIES is an outstanding achievement and a testament to the power and joy of the story and the creative strength of its team. We\u2019re thrilled to see this uniquely Australian story celebrated on the world stage. Screen Australia is committed to celebrating the richness of our diverse culture and work that resonates with a range of audiences.\u00a0Ina\u00a0is a powerful example of the authentic voices and perspectives emerging from Australia\u2019s screen industry.\u201d<\/p>\n Screen Queensland Executive Director, Screen Content, Julie Eckersley:\u00a0\u201cScreen Queensland is proud to support Ina through our Online Production Grants, which champion emerging talent from across the state. This project highlights the kind of inventive storytelling that pushes beyond traditional formats and embraces new ways of connecting with audiences. Online platforms give creators the freedom to innovate and bring distinctly Queensland stories to life. We congratulate Rachel and the entire team for being selected for this prestigious festival.\u201d<\/p>\n CANNESERIES<\/a>\u00a0will be held April 23-28 in Cannes, France.<\/p>\n Following its world premiere,\u00a0Ina\u00a0will be released online via YouTube on June 12, 2026, coinciding with Philippines Independence Day.<\/p>\n Ina\u00a0is a Sweet Mess Production for YouTube. Principal production funding from Screen Australia, in association with Screen Queensland.<\/p>\n For more information and updates, follow the\u00a0Ina\u00a0team on Instagram\u00a0@ina.series<\/a>.<\/p>\n \t\t