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Sebastian Lelio, the celebrated Chilean director, screenwriter and producer who won an Oscar for A Fantastic Woman, has died. He was 52.
The director was found dead at his home in Las Condes, Santiago, Chile around midday on Friday by his partner, actress Amalia Kassai, who then called the local authorities, according to local media outlet Emol.
His family and Kassai announced that he had succumbed to 'health complications,' though an exact medical cause has not been publicly disclosed and it’s unknown if he had been battling ongoing health issues in the weeks leading up to his passing.
'With great sadness, we announce the death, following health complications, of Chilean filmmaker Sebastian Lelio,' they said in a statement.
'We are going through a time of profound grief, and his memory will remain with us forever. He was a wonderful person who made significant contributions to Chilean culture at important moments in its history. As a family, we ask for privacy and consideration during these difficult times.'
In her own heartbreaking tribute, Kassai shared that Lelio was 'for many, an important person.'
Sebastian Lelio, the celebrated Chilean director, screenwriter and producer who won an Oscar for A Fantastic Woman, has aged 52; pictured in 2018 at the 90th Annual Academy Awards
In a heartbreaking tribute, his partner Amalia Kassai wrote that Lelio was 'for many, an important person.' Above, Kassai and Lelio in 2023 attending the BAFTA Nominees Party in London
She posted a carousel of photos of the romantically smitten couple, writing: 'I love you in this life and in all the lives to come. He illuminated everything and everything around him … Only love remains.'
At the time of his death, Lelio was in production on an adaptation of the novel Chilean Poet by Alejandro Zambra, having begun filming in September.
He was also developing Voyagers, an upcoming English-language film which was set to star Andrew Garfield as astronomer Carl Sagan and Daisy Edgar-Jones as Cosmos filmmaker Ann Druyan.
Lelio's most recently completed project was the musical drama The Wave, which had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
The director's final film was loosely inspired by the 2018 Chilean feminist protests and featured Kassai as Paz.
Lelio's other notable films included 2011's The Year of the Tiger; the 2017 romantic drama Disobedience starring Rachel Weisz; the 2018 comedy-drama Gloria starring Julianne Moore; and the 2022 psychological thriller The Wonder starring Florence Pugh.
His 2017 feature A Fantastic Woman won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, the second Oscar won in Chile.
The story follows Marina (Daniela Vega) a young transgender woman working as a waitress and aspiring singer in Santiago, Chile. Her life is upended when her older boyfriend, Orlando (Francisco Reyes) suddenly dies after an aneurysm.
His family and Kassai announced that he had succumbed to 'health complications.' Above, Lelio and Kassai in a photo she posted as part of her emotional tribute to her late beau
Lelio's most recently completed project was the musical drama The Wave, which had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and featured his girlfriend in a role
Kassai shared a number of romantic photos of the couple together in an emotional tribute to her late partner
Sony Pictures Classics, which released the Oscar-winning A Fantastic Woman, said in a statement on Friday: 'Sebastián Lelio was a one-of-a-kind filmmaker whose work continued to evolve and surprise audiences around the world'
The film also garnered honors at the Berlin International Film Festival, Goya Awards and Independent Spirit Awards.
Lelio was born in Mendoza, Argentina, and moved to Chile at age two with his Chilean mother, Valeria.
His younger years were 'nomadic,' as he described in a 2013 interview with Revista Nos.
'Up to the age of 21, I was moving between different cities in Chile,' Lelio said.
'I lived for a time in the United States, and also in Vina del Mar; my maternal family is from Vina… essentially I was never more than two or three years in the same city.'
Lelio studied journalism for one year before graduating from the Chilean Film School.
Sony Pictures Classics, which released A Fantastic Woman, said in a statement on Friday: 'Sebastián Lelio was a one-of-a-kind filmmaker whose work continued to evolve and surprise audiences around the world.
'His distinctive storytelling and singular vision will live on through a remarkable body of work that challenged conventions, touched hearts and left an indelible mark on international cinema.'
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