(Producer and director
Chim Onyebilanma, with cast member Samantha Watts. Pic supplied)
Faith, action and
redemption - Treasure Hunt comes to
South African cinemas after
world premiere in the USA
A local film with a global heart is bringing faith to the big screen.
After its debut at the prestigious Oscar-qualifying American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach, Florida Treasure Hunt - a faith-filled, action-packed, feel-good movie made in rural KwaZulu-Natal – is set to be screened at Watercrest mall Ster-Kinekor cinema marking its homecoming after premiering elsewhere in South Africa this past October.
With a powerful redemptive storyline at its core, Treasure Hunt is a film that blends real- life struggles with themes of grace, second chances and the courage to choose what’s right. It’s got it all - action, drama and of course, love.
The film has had a cinema run both in Johannesburg and at Suncoast CineCentre in Durban. It was so well received at Suncoast that it ran for three consecutive weekends because of the high demand.
Now the film is coming home to the community where it was made - the Upper Highway area of Durban and will screen for one week from December 5, 2025 at the Watercrest mall (and simultaneously at the Brooklyn mall cinema in Pretoria).
Set in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, Treasure Hunt follows the story of a man trying to leave behind a broken past. When he stumbles upon a stash of jewellery in a trash bin, he faces a moral crossroads... do what’s right or return to the life he left behind. The story explores faith under pressure and the life-changing impact of standing firm in your values.
Directed by Chim Onyebilanma, a passionate storyteller, the film was created by CAP Studios, a small production company in Embo, in the rural Valley of a Thousand Hills in KwaZulu-Natal that works to nurture local talent and tell stories with purpose and premium production quality.
(Veteran actor Zane Meas in one of the scenes from the movie. Pic supplied)
Even the cast is a testament to the film’s mission. Well-known South African stars Moopi Mothibeli, Muzi Mthabela, Trevor Gumbi, Zane Meas and Samukele Mkhezie — along with many local actors — offered their time for free, in support of a project that carries a bigger message.
Also in the cast are well-known theatre personalities Patrick and Shannon Kenny.
“This is more than a film,” says Onyebilanma. “It’s a message of hope. It’s about the real battles people face every day, and the choice to believe that your story isn’t over.” Whether you're coming for the action, the message or the love story, Treasure Hunt is a film the whole family can enjoy — and one South Africans can be proud of.
Joining in on the excitement of the homecoming of this movie, the Watercrest mall management is planning a special meet and greet celebration including red carpet photos with some of the cast on the evening of the opening night (December 5) from 17h30.
By supporting this film, audiences are helping to ensure that more good local faith-based content makes it to South African screens.
Online booking is now open at sterkinekor.com
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