TAMPA The Turning Point & Exclusive Screening and Panel Discussion

In August 2001 Australian troops boarded the Norwegian freighter MV Tampa off Christmas Island.

The ship's captain, Arne Rinnan, had rescued 433 asylum-seekers from a distressed fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean and sought permission to bring them to Australia. When the Australian Government refused the ship entry, an eight-day political and humanitarian standoff followed.

The Tampa crisis became the catalyst for Australia’s new border protection policies and a defining issue in the 2001 federal election campaign.

More than two decades later, the Tampa affair remains one of the most significant and contested events in modern Australian history. Its impact continues to shape discussions about asylum seekers, migration policy and humanitarian responsibility, both in Australia and internationally.

Guests are invited to the Australian National Maritime Museum for a special screening of the first episode of the upcoming documentary TAMPA TheTurning Point. Produced by Mint Pictures for the ABC to mark the 25th anniversary of the Tampa affair, this landmark three-part documentary series explores the explosive eight-day standoff that transformed Australia’s approach to asylum seekers and continues to influence migration debates around the world.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion including:

Dr Roland Leikauf - Curator, Post-War Immigration, Australian National Maritime Museum

Dr Sara Dehm - Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Technology Sydney

Dan Goldberg - Producer and Creative Director, Mint Pictures

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