Ballito-based film director Mark Engels will bring the production of his new film Masinga – The Calling to Thompson’s Bay this week.

It is one of many North Coast locations used across 30 days of filming, all within KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) between Zinkwazi and Isipingo.

Masinga is pitched as a tense action thriller set in Maputo, Mozambique, which follows British-Nigerian actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim as the titular detective.

While undertaking an investigation into the sex trafficking of Ukrainian minors, parts of his past catch up to him, entrapping him in a web of intrigue.

“This has been five years in development for me. We found initial funding for the project and were pretty much set to go when Covid-19 hit and immediately shelved all productions,” said Engels, who also wrote the script for Masinga.

Thus began a difficult two years during which new financiers needed to be found to kickstart the process once filming was allowed.

“I want to thank everyone in Ballito who I ran into during this period and who offered support along the way. It is my adopted home but I am sincerely grateful that this beautiful place is where I was stuck during the pandemic,” he said.

Alongside Kae-Kazim, recognisable South African actors Shamilla Miller and Sean Cameron Michael hold the screen, as does Moscow rap artist Vitaly.

Funding for the film has come from the Department of Trade and Industry, the National Film and Video Foundation and the KZN Film Commission.

Engels hopes to enter it into a few international festivals upon release to build global exposure and it is expected to be distributed on M-NET locally.

“I am really proud of what we have put together so far and I am looking forward to these last two weeks of shooting so that we can dig into the editing and get it ready for release.”

Although he has spent most of his career across the globe, Engels has lived in Ballito for the last five years in preparation for Masinga.

He has been active in the South African film industry for almost 40 years, directing a number of music videos, documentaries and the 1989 action movie, The Endangered.

He is a three-time Visible Spectrum Award winner for cinematography.

The team will shoot at Thompson’s Bay throughout the week and apologise for any inconvenience caused, though it should be minimal.

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