The Awakening Secures Global Deals Ahead of Festival Premiere

An elite unit faces an ancient jungle force in the Colombian supernatural thriller The Awakening.

Colombian Supernatural Thriller The Awakening Secures Global Sales Ahead of Festival Premiere

A new Latin American genre entry is gaining international traction as The Awakening (El Despertar) locks in multiple territory deals ahead of its world premiere at the Guadalajara Film Festival.

Sales are being handled by Latido Films, with distribution already secured across several major regions. Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired U.S. rights, while Mediasoft will handle South Korea and 9th Plan has picked up Poland. Additional deals include Melidora Media for CIS territories and Superfine for the SAARC region, covering markets such as India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

The film was created, written, and directed by Jaime Osorio Márquez (The Squad), who passed away before completing the project. The film was subsequently finished by co-creator and producer Federico Durán alongside director José Luis Rugeles Gracia and the original creative team.

Set deep in the Amazon, The Awakening follows an elite military unit sent on a targeted mission that quickly collapses into survival horror. Their objective becomes irrelevant once they encounter Mobuya, a sacred guardian spirit tied to the land. The narrative also extends into the past, depicting a group of Spanish conquistadors who faced the same force centuries earlier—linking both timelines through a shared confrontation with the unknown.

The cast is led by Claudio Cataño and Alejandro Buitrago, with supporting performances from Héctor Sánchez, Andrea Olaya, and Carlos Mariño.

Production involved Rhayuela Films in collaboration with multiple international partners, with completion supported by key members of Osorio’s original team, including production designer Oscar Navarro and additional creative contributors working to preserve the director’s vision.

The Awakening arrives as part of a broader wave of Latin American genre films blending supernatural elements with historical and cultural themes. With distribution already secured across multiple global territories, the film is positioned for a wide international rollout following its festival debut.