Embark on a thrilling urban heist-escapade through inner-city Melbourne in SBS’s wildly entertaining new crime-family drama , which premieres on Wednesday 24 April. All eight 30-minute episodes will be available to stream free on SBS On Demand from 24 April, with double episodes airing at 8:30pm on SBS each Wednesday.
Fast, funny and big-hearted, Swift Street features a line-up of impressive creative talent. Rising star Tanzyn Crawford (Tiny Beautiful Things) and acclaimed actor Cliff Curtis (Avatar: The Way of Water; Fear the Walking Dead ) lead a stellar cast as dysfunctional father-daughter duo Robert and Elsie.
They are joined by actor, musician and internet sensation Keiynan Lonsdale (Love, Simon), Eliza Matengu (Thor: Love and Thunder), Bernie Van Tiel (SBS drama Erotic Stories and face of Beatbox Australia) and Alfred Chuol in his first television role.
Swift Street was created and directed by Tig Terera (Tinashé, Chenge), who is rapidly becoming one of Australia’s most exciting creative voices. Episodes 5-8 were directed by Nicholas Verso and the series was executive produced by Magpie Pictures’ Lois Randall. Filmed on location in Melbourne’s bustling inner-city cultural hub, Swift Street is a love letter to the Melbourne where Terera grew up.
This action-packed crime drama follows 21-year-old street smart Elsie (Tanzyn Crawford) who must team up with her jaded old-school hustler father, Robert (Cliff Curtis), to get him out of a $26,000 debt and save him from a merciless crime boss (Eliza Matengu). The unlikely pair embark on a series of crimes while navigating their complicated father-daughter relationship.
Cliff Curtis and Tanzyn Crawford in 'Swift Street'. Credit: Jane Zhang / Magpie Pictures
Along the way, Elsie must juggle her relationship with high school sweetheart Tatenda (Alfred Chuol) and her growing attraction to Aisha (Bernie Van Tiel), and face a shocking revelation about her new friend Tom (Keiynan Lonsdale).
“Swift Street is a story from my heart, set in the multicultural inner-Melbourne community that I live in and love,” says series creator and director Tig Terera.
SBS Head of Scripted, Julie Eckersley describes Swift Street as “unlike anything we’ve seen on Australian television before”.
“It's a great story that takes audiences on a really fun ride.”
Screen Australia Director of Content Grainne Brunsdon says: “Anchored by a fantastic cast and crew, Swift Street is a gripping re-imagining of the crime genre. The show’s recent selection for Canneseries is testament to Tig and the team’s ability to create engaging television that transcends borders – it certainly has the makings of a hit and we’re absolutely thrilled to have supported its production.”
The series has already garnered international acclaim and will have its World Premiere in competition at the Cannes International Television Series Festival, Canneseries, which runs from April 5th-10th.
Swift Street is a Magpie Pictures production for SBS with major production investment from Screen Australia in association with SBS. Produced in association with VicScreen and financed with the assistance of Screen NSW.
All 8 episodes of Swift Street will be available to stream free from Wednesday 24 April, with double episodes premiering on SBS each Wednesday at 8.30pm.
Swift Street will be available to stream on SBS On Demand with subtitles in five languages: Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Traditional Chinese and Korean.
