Entertainment
13 December, 2025
Local actor in series
QUEENSLAND online series Ruff & Ruby has been nominated for a 2026 AACTA Award, marking the first AACTA nomination for emerging writer and director Jessica Trinity Fisher.
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts announced the nominees for the 2026 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel Group, recognising work across film, television, documentary, short form and digital production.
Ruff & Ruby is one of six nominees in the AACTA ‘Best Online Drama or Comedy Series’ category. It was selected from an initial field of 26 contenders, which included series from major broadcasters.
Created by Ms Fisher, the 13-episode online series has amassed almost one million views across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. It stars an all-Queensland cast led by Cairns-born actress Jacy Lewis as Ruff and Josephine Olton as Ruby. The production was filmed entirely in Pine Mountain, Ipswich, with a crew of 34 Queenslanders.
Ms Fisher said she was proud to have created a Queensland story made entirely in the state, with all post-production also completed locally.
“I’m committed to creating more opportunities here in Queensland for filmmakers, especially emerging directors and local actors who don’t usually get a look-in on larger-scale productions,” she said. “The performances our Queensland cast deliver in Ruff & Ruby stand strong alongside those you would see on bigger-scale productions.”
