A new animated children’s project is using cricket, friendship and storytelling to bring Australian and Indian cultures closer, with two new productions from the popular series Snick & Willow set to be released in November.
The series centres on Snick, an Indian boy, and Willow, a young Australian girl, whose friendship develops through their shared love of cricket. Through humour, adventure and sporting moments, the show introduces young audiences to the traditions and cultures of both countries.
The upcoming productions have been created to celebrate the cultural connections between Australia and India and have received support through the Maitri Grants program, administered by the Centre for Australia-India Relations.
The project was also highlighted during a film industry round-table held in Melbourne alongside the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2026, bringing together representatives from the Australian and Indian screen industries to discuss opportunities for greater collaboration.
India’s delegation was headed by Shri Prabhat, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The delegation also included Shri Sreerag Mukundan, Gouri Nair from the National Film Development Corporation of India and Shri Satyaprakash Upadhyay from WAVES Bazaar.
The delegation’s participation was facilitated through an initiative led by Indiqa chief executive Jay Shah. Discussions explored areas including filmmaking, international co-productions, cultural exchange and potential opportunities linked to the International Film Festival of India and WAVES.
At the heart of Snick & Willow is the idea that sport can create connections between children from different cultural backgrounds. Its creators have designed the series to use cricket as a familiar meeting point while introducing young viewers to another country and its culture.
The creator of the series said the project aims to encourage Australian children to learn more about India while helping Indian children view Australia as a welcoming friend. The story also seeks to show how two young people from different backgrounds can share common ground through sport and friendship.
The animation comes at a time when cultural and sporting connections between Australia and India are expanding. Initiatives such as the Australia India Sports Bridge, along with growing cooperation across the screen sector, are creating additional opportunities for the two countries to work together.
For younger audiences, the creators say the message behind Snick & Willow remains simple: friendship, adventure, teamwork, culture and cricket. By combining those themes with animation, the series aims to introduce the Australia-India relationship to a new generation in an accessible and entertaining way.
