Catalyst Studios has tapped Colombian auteur Ana Maria Hermida to direct Alix, a redemptive coming-of-age tale about the discovery of inner strength and new beginnings which will introduce Cristal Aparcio (“Enfermeras”) to international audiences in the title role of Alix.  Based on Hermida’s script, the film will also star Natalia Reyes (Terminator Dark Fate), Roberto Urbina (Snowpiercer), Carlos Bardem (Eco 3, El Cid), and Carolina Guerra (Animal Kingdom). Principal photography recently began in the jungles of Rio Claro, Colombia. Alix is produced by Lemore Syvan, along with Catalyst Studios’ Holly Levow, Paul Kampf and Mark Pennell.

Alix is a magical realism movie that tells the story of Conejo (Urbina), a skilled soldier at the top of his ranks, and a young girl, Alix (Aparicio), who he recruits to be a child soldier in the Colombian jungle under the command of the charismatic Ramon (Bardem). Alix, innocent and optimistic, deals with the trauma of her hard circumstances by letting her imagination journey to a magical realm.

“The movie is a full Spanish-language film and the location of the shoot makes it very authentic to the nature of the material,” said Hermida. “We all understand the purpose of this movie and I love how everyone involved has connected with the script and the importance of creating awareness regarding topics such as human trafficking and child soldiers. Colombia is an inspiring country that needs healing, and I wrote this movie to honor that.”

“It has been a long and difficult road,” said Producer Lemore Syvan. “I am grateful to Catalyst Studios who saw the beauty and power of the screenplay and were not afraid to share Ana Maria’s vision for it. We are lucky to have this dream cast of incredible actors who are so passionate about the story and their characters.”