Lights, camera, CAPE TOWN

South Africa is the filming destination for quite a few Marvel blockbusters, and one of the most successful liveaction series based on manga in the world. At the vanguard of this revolution is Marisa Sonemann-Turner, head of production at Film Afrika.

- CHARIS TORRANCE

South Africa's film and television industry has evolved into a global S powerhouse. Blockbusters like The Woman King, Avengers: Age of Ultron, the highly anticipated Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning and the Netflix series One Piece all showcase the country's breathtaking landscapes and, even more importantly, our world-class production talent.

At the helm of one of our leading production companies, Film Afrika, stands Marisa Sonemann-Turner. With a career spanning nearly 20 years, she has not only witnessed but has actively helped shape the industry we know today. From navigating the chaos of the Covid-19 pandemic to keeping up with the ever-growing demands of the streaming giants, her career offers a front-row seat to South Africa's production revolution.

The beginning of, a beautiful friendship

Marisa's start in film wasn't exactly textbook. "There was no clear path to where I am,' she says. 'I was lucky enough to start work at a commercial production company after a failed attempt at getting into agency advertising back in the early 2000s. My love of production blossomed from there: getting everyone to pull in the same direction to deliver the best creative product.

'I met an incredible producer who hired me on my first feature film, and I've been lucky to have an amazing support structure in the Film Afrika management team since I freelanced for them almost two decades ago."

Marisa's first feature film experience was on Disney's Zenon: Z3, the third instalment in Disney Channel's popular trilogy, which follows Zenon Kar, a teenage girl living in a space station, as she competes in an intergalactic contest to save her home from destruction.