Sebastián Lelio, Oscar-Winning Director of ‘A Fantastic Woman,’ Dies at 52
Sebastián Lelio, the Chilean filmmaker whose acclaimed drama A Fantastic Woman won an Academy Award, has died at the age of 52.
His family announced his death on Friday, November 6, in a statement shared on Instagram by his partner, actress Amalia Kassai. The statement attributed his passing to health reasons without disclosing a specific cause and requested privacy while the family grieves.
Lelio died in Santiago, Chile, leaving behind a body of work that brought Chilean cinema to international audiences. His films included Gloria, Disobedience, Gloria Bell, The Wonder and The Wave.
His greatest international recognition came with A Fantastic Woman, the 2017 drama starring Daniela Vega as a transgender waitress and singer confronting grief and discrimination after her partner’s death. The film won the 2018 Academy Award for best foreign language film, the category now known as best international feature. It became the first Chilean feature to receive that honor.
Before that breakthrough, Lelio earned widespread acclaim for Gloria in 2013. Its portrait of a middle-aged woman seeking love and independence provided a celebrated leading role for Paulina García, who won the Silver Bear for best actress at the Berlin International Film Festival.
His English-language filmmaking career included Disobedience, starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams, and Gloria Bell, an American reworking of Gloria led by Julianne Moore. He later directed Florence Pugh in The Wonder, an adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s novel.
His most recent completed feature, The Wave, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025. The musical drama drew inspiration from Chile’s feminist protests, continuing his interest in stories centered on women confronting social pressures and demanding change.
Born in Mendoza, Argentina, Lelio moved to Chile when he was two. He briefly studied journalism before pursuing his education at the Chilean Film School. In September, he had begun filming Poeta Chileno, based on Alejandro Zambra’s novel.
In announcing his death, his family remembered both his personal warmth and his contribution to Chilean culture, asking for consideration during a period of profound sorrow.
