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Jacqueline McKenzie, Phoebe Tonkin among cast of SBS drama ‘Safe Harbour’

Phoebe Tonkin (The Vampire Diaries) and Joel Jackson (Peter Allen: Not The Boy Next Door) are set to star in SBS' upcoming Safe Harbour.

The Matchbox Pictures four-parter, currently shooting in Brisbane, will also include Ewen Leslie (Rake), Leeanna Walsman (Seven Types of Ambiguity) and Jacqueline McKenzie (The 4400).

They’ll be joined by Hazem Shammas (Underbelly), Nicole Chamoun (Kick) and Robert Rabiah (Tomorrow When the War Began).

Safe Harbour, written by Phil Enchelmaier, Belinda Chayko and Matt Cameron, follows a group of friends who, on a yacht trip from Brisbane to Indonesia, intercept an overloaded asylum seeker boat.  

Glendyn Ivin (Seven Types of Ambiguity, The Beautiful Lie) will take up directing duties, with Matchbox’s Stephen Corvini (Better Man, Hyde & Seek) producing. SBS’ Sue Masters (The Principal, Deep Water) is the executive producer.

“We’ve assembled a brilliant cast that is set to entertain and enthral an audience with a view of some of the timeliest and urgent discussions going on in our world right now,” said Corvini.  

SBS director of television and online content Marshall Heald said Safe Harbour was the sort of series that only SBS could make, “a psychological thriller that will both captivate audiences and get them talking about issues that impact all of us.”

“We are excited to be working with the enormously talented Matchbox Pictures team and a brilliant young ensemble cast who bring the story to life in beautiful Brisbane.”

Safe Harbour has received production funding from Screen Australia in association with Screen Queensland.

NBC Universal will handle international sales.