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Inay (Mama)

Directed by Thea Loo

With the desire to help answer unresolved questions and heal lingering wounds, Inay investigates the flawed immigration pathways between the Philippines and Canada that kept so many Filipino children from their mothers. Inay, which means “mama” in Tagalog, is an intimate and personal look at the experiences and trauma endured by many Filipino Canadians. Filmmaker Thea Loo and her husband Jeremiah Reyes, who is also the film’s Director of Photography, explore the intersections of mental health and migrant labor and the effects that continue to be felt years later. Through intimate conversations, this self-reflexive documentary aims to bridge the silences and disconnect between the first and second generations of the Filipino community.

Thea Loo is producer and director from Vancouver, Canada. Her work has played at Sundance, Palm Springs ShortFest, CAAMFest and distributed on TIFF Digital Bell Lightbox.

She has produced multiple short films such as SMOKE EATER (Dir. Gloria Mercer), which premiered at the Whistler Film Festival 2022 and is available on CRAVE. Her latest short is the hybrid animated documentary BLUE GARDEN (Dir. Natalie Murao), which was selected for Telefilm Canada’s Not Short on Talent program at Clermont-Ferrand 2022 and is streaming on CBC Gem. She has also associate and co-produced two documentary features.

Loo is an alumni of the Reelworld Producers Program, a cohort group focused on developing BIPOC producing talent in Canada. As an educator, Loo has been on multiple panels as a guest speaker sharing her producing journey such as at the Banff World Media Festival, VIFF Catalyst Mentorship Program, and EXNW. Currently Loo has two TV series projects and one narrative feature in development and recently participated in the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival’s Series Accelerator.

Dates & Times

Theater 13, AMC Theater Plaza Bonita, Westfield

October 10, 2025
1:00 pm