by FilmInk Staff
Six-part series Ina, created by writer/director Rachel Maxine Anderson, has been selected to world premiere in Official Competition at CANNESERIES this April before launching online June 12.
One of only six short form series selected worldwide to compete at the prestigious international event on the French Riviera, Ina is the only Australian series to be selected in 2026, and is the festival’s first project to centre the Filipino diaspora.
A Filipino-Australian comedy-drama, Ina explores 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.
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 – who also happens to be the studio’s cleaner, unbeknownst to the rest of the crew.
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.
Starring Lena Cruz (In Limbo, Wellmania, The Unusual Suspects) and introducing Triona Calimbayan-Giles in her debut leading role, Ina is produced by Rae Choi of Limina Pictures and Danielle Redford of Contra Stories, with Kerrin McNeil as Executive Producer and celebrated Filipino actress Ruby Ruiz (Expats, First Light) also attached as Executive Producer.
A four-person Ina team, 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.
Writer/director Rachel Maxine Anderson: “Just 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 – my only bridge to my culture – was becoming ‘Australian.’ 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’ve needed to watch my whole life.”
Producer Rae Choi: “Ina exists in the space between – between cultures, between generations, between the versions of ourselves we inherit and the ones we try to become. There’s a deep creative urgency that comes from living in that tension. We wanted to harness that into something both intimate and expansive – a culturally specific story with the power to travel, made accessible to audiences everywhere through its online release.”
Producer Danielle Redford: “Journeying with Rachel Maxine Anderson and our wider producing team has been a deeply rewarding experience personally, offering a first-hand seat to what’s possible when authorial vision is grounded in warm, empathetic storytelling. Ina is both tender and fierce, and we can’t wait for a global audience to experience the specificity of Anderson’s Australian-Filipino storytelling on CANNESERIES’ world stage.”
Executive Producer Kerrin McNeil: “Ina is exactly the type of project the Australian film and television industry has been asking for, and we’re grateful to Screen Australia and Screen Queensland for supporting its production. It’s a bold, authored story that speaks directly to next-generation audiences who are online first. I’m thrilled to be supporting this team of talented filmmakers now and into the future.”
Screen Australia Director of Narrative Content, Louise Gough: “Ina’s 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’re 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. Ina is a powerful example of the authentic voices and perspectives emerging from Australia’s screen industry.”
Screen Queensland Executive Director, Screen Content, Julie Eckersley: “Screen 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.”
CANNESERIES will be held April 23-28 in Cannes, France.
Following its world premiere, Ina will be released online via YouTube on June 12, 2026, coinciding with Philippines Independence Day.
Ina is a Sweet Mess Production for YouTube. Principal production funding from Screen Australia, in association with Screen Queensland.
For more information and updates, follow the Ina team on Instagram @ina.series.
