Ina, a six-part Filipino-Australian comedy-drama series, is part of the roster of shows selected in the ongoing Canneseries.
Founded in 2018, the Cannes International Series Festival, or Canneseries, for short, is an annual international television film festival held in Cannes, France.
This year’s festival, which opened on April 23 and concludes tomorrow, April 28, featured titles from around the world, spanning genres and categories, including television series and documentaries.
Ina is one of just six short-form series selected worldwide to compete, alongside entries from Canada, Belgium, France, Austria, and Finland.
This year’s highlights include awards presented to Scottish actor and writer Richard Gadd and American actor Adam Scott.
South Korean actress Jisoo will also receive the Madame Figaro Rising Star Award, joining past honorees that include Marie Colomb, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Phoebe Dynevor, and Sydney Sweeney, among others.
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SPOTLIGHT ON FILIPINO FAMILY DYNAMICS
Ina explores themes of family, culture, and self-discovery.
The series follows the story of Madeline, a 29-year-old Filipino-Australian television producer whose daytime cooking show is struggling in the ratings.
On the day of a shoot, the show's guest chef drops out, leaving Madeline to scramble to find a replacement on short notice.
Desperate and out of options, Madeline makes a risky call: casting her mother, Gloria, who works as a cleaner at the studio.
The crew, meanwhile, has no idea Gloria is her mom.
Set during one hectic day on set, the series combines a high-pressure workplace comedy with an intimate story about reconnecting with culture and repairing family ties, as tensions rise and clash while in the middle of television production.
Triona Calimbayan-Giles portrays the role of Madeline, while Lena Cruz takes on the character of Gloria.
A STORY THAT HITS CLOSE TO HOME
“Just like our protagonist Madeline, it feels urgent that I reclaim my cultural identity after a lifetime of its erasure," said Ina's writer and director, Rachel Maxine Anderson.
"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,'" continued the Filipino-Australian filmmaker.
"I followed her lead, only to find myself in my twenties, realizing that you cannot deny what is written in your DNA."
Rachel hopes Ina’s story and message will resonate not only with Filipino immigrants but also with mixed-race individuals navigating questions of identity and connection to their heritage.
"This is the show I’ve needed to watch my whole life.”
Ina will debut on YouTube on June 12, 2026, coinciding with Philippine Independence Day.
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