Sebastián Lelio, Chilean Director of Oscar-Winning ‘A Fantastic Woman,’ Dead at 52

Sebastián Lelio, the humanistic Chilean filmmaker whose trans drama “A Fantastic Woman” won the Best International Feature Film Oscar in 2018, has died at age 52. The Chilean publication Emol first revealed the news that he was found dead in his home in Santiago on Friday, November 6, amid an undisclosed health issue. His body was discovered by his partner, the actress/director Amalia Kassai, who starred in his final film, the protest musical “The Wave” from Cannes 2025. Kassai also posted a statement in Spanish on her Instagram account. “It’s with much sadness that we share the passing due to health problems of the Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio,” her statement read, as translated independently by IndieWire. “We are going through a moment of much pain, and his memory will always remain with us. He was a beautiful person and shared the Chilean culture in huge moments in history. The family would like to ask for privacy and consideration in these difficult moments.” Lelio was reportedly mid-production on the feature “Chilean Poet,” adapted from Alejandro Zambra’s Viking-published 2022 novel. Along with “A Fantastic Woman,” he also directed the Hasidic lesbian romance “Disobedience” in the same year, 2017; it starred Rachel McAdams and Rachel Weisz, and helped bring the filmmaker to international prominence. In 2013, he directed Paulina García to a Berlinale Silver Bear Best Actress win with “Gloria,” a late-in-life romantic comedy about a 58-year-old divorcee starting over again. He remade his own film in 2018 in English as “Gloria Bell,” released by A24 and starring Julianne Moore in the role García originated, opposite John Turturro. More to come…