Filming underway on Safe Home for SBS

Filming has commenced in Melbourne on upcoming thriller Safe Home for SBS.

The series follows Phoebe (Aisha Dee) a twenty-something professional who leaves her job at a prominent law firm to work at a struggling family violence legal centre. As interconnecting stories unfold, relationships are tested and the pressure mounts to save the centre. With so much at stake, Phoebe must navigate a path that isn’t always clear, and people aren’t always as they appear.

In addition to Aisha Dee (The Bold Type) the case includes Mabel Li (New Gold Mountain, The Tailings), Virginia Gay (Judy & Punch, Winners and Losers), Thomas Cocquerel (The Gilded Age, Red Dog) and Antonia Prebble (Westside, Outrageous Fortune).

Supporting cast include Hal Cumpston (The Walking Dead), Chenoa Deemal (Troppo), David Roberts (Total Control), Janet Andrewartha (Neighbours), Mark Mitchinson (The Hobbit), Tegan Stimson (Irreverent), Katlyn Wong (Mystic), Nicholas Burton (Barons) and Yuchen Wang (Hungry Ghosts).

The series is the first for producer Imogen Banks (Offspring, Puberty Blues, RFDS, Tangle) under her new production company Kindling Pictures.

Created by playwright Anna Barnes, inspired by her time working at a family legal centre in Melbourne, project writers include Michelle Law, Jean Tong. It is directed by Stevie Cruz-Martin (The Tailings, Pulse) and co-produced by Emelyne Palmer.

SBS Head of Scripted, Julie Eckersley, said: “As my first Original commission for SBS, I am incredibly excited about Safe Home. This a compelling and suspenseful drama series; think Unbelievable meets SBS’s hit series The Hunting. It will engage your heart as well as your mind and make you question everything you think you know about family violence.”

Producer Imogen Banks said: “Headed by the magnificent Aisha Dee and supported by the likes of rising star Mable Li, Antonia Prebble, Thomas Cocquerel and Virginia Gay, our Safe Home cast is a dream. In setting up Kindling Pictures, one of my major goals was to find more opportunity for emerging creatives and on Safe Home, with the support of SBS, we have been able to build a hugely exciting team of emerging uber talents, starting with Anna Barnes, who has created a beautifully written smart and complex drama, through to our extraordinary director, the undeniably talented Stevie Cruz-Martin. I could not have asked for a better launch project.”

Creator Anna Barnes said: “Working in the sector, I became aware of the important role the media played in telling stories about family violence. The often sensational news stories significantly influence a lot of the general public’s understanding of this complex issue. In creating Safe Home, we have worked with professionals in the field – so while fictional, its rooted in authenticity and the real-life processes of the legal services.”

Screen Australia’s Head of Content, Grainne Brunsdon, said: “Award-winning Imogen Banks has assembled some of Australia’s finest screen talent, with a brilliant young cast and formidable creative team. This captivating series about the hugely relevant and urgent topic of family violence is set to be one of the most compelling dramas of 2023.”

VicScreen CEO, Caroline Pitcher, said: “We’re delighted to support this Victorian led story which is being created and made in Melbourne. Attracting the high calibre, award-winning cast of Safe Home is testament to the creative team’s extraordinary talent. This highly anticipated drama is set to strike an emotional and intellectual chord with audiences, highlighting the depth of local talent and powerful storytelling. We look forward to this compelling miniseries reaching our screens.”

Safe Home will now premiere on SBS in 2023.

Safe Home is a Kindling Pictures production for SBS. Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with SBS. Financed with support from VicScreen. Banijay are managing international sales.