Safe Harbour to sail on SBS in 2017
The 4 part psychological thriller begins as a yachting adventure until it meets a broken-down asylum boat.
- Published by David Knox
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More details have been announced on 2017 SBS drama, Safe Harbour.
The 4 part Matchbox Pictures series begins when a group of six friends embark on a yacht trip from Brisbane to Indonesia, a chance for adventure and to enjoy a holiday at the same time. The group is just a day’s sail from their destination when something appears on the horizon. Another boat. The group come to the aid of a broken-down asylum seekers’ boat, leading to a tragic series of events that return to haunt them four years later.
Written by Belinda Chayko , Matt Cameron and Phil Enchelmaier the series will be produced by Stephen Corvini (Hyde & Seek, Schapelle) and directed by Daniel Nettheim (Hyde & Seek, Broadchurch, Doctor Who).
Stephen Corvini, Producer Matchbox Pictures, said: “It is really fantastic to be working with SBS on such an ambitious project. We’ve assembled a terrific creative team and they’re going to deliver a timely and thought provoking drama.”
SBS Director of TV and Online Content, Marshall Heald, said “SBS drama allows us to tell uniquely diverse stories no other network would tackle in a way that provokes debate and makes us think outside the square. Safe Harbour is a bold psychological thriller about a group of friends who experience an unexpected encounter with asylum seekers on holidays that alters their lives forever. This timely Australian story will keep viewers thinking about it long after the end credits have rolled.”
Safe Harbour has investment from Screen Australia, SBS and with state investment from Screen Queensland.
Sally Caplan, Head of Production at Screen Australia, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting this production from Matchbox Pictures. It is exactly the type of distinctive and diverse storytelling we have come to expect from SBS, entertaining us as viewers whilst challenging us to reflect on the contemporary issues of today.”
“Screen Queensland is proud that the contemporary and topical story as told through Safe Harbour, originated from Queensland creatives Simon Kennedy and Phil Enchelmaier, and was picked up and developed through Matchbox Pictures as part of Screen Queenslander Enterprise funding,” said Tracey Vieira, CEO, Screen Queensland. “We are thrilled to invest in this dramatic series and see the story unfold from concept to screen.”
NBCUniversal International Distribution will distribute the series worldwide.
Photo: stock image