Oscar-winning filmmaker Sebastián Lelio, the acclaimed Chilean director who worked with Hollywood stars including Florence Pugh, Rachel McAdams and Julianne Moore, has died at the age of 52.
Lelio was found dead Friday, November 6, at his home in Santiago, Chile, according to local media reports. His longtime partner, actress Amalia Kassai, confirmed the devastating news in an emotional social media statement, revealing that the filmmaker had experienced health complications before his death.
“With great sadness, we announce the death, following health complications, of Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio,” Kassai wrote on Instagram.
She described the family’s overwhelming grief and praised Lelio for his remarkable contributions to Chilean cinema, asking the public to respect their privacy during the difficult time.
Although his family acknowledged health problems, the exact cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.
Lelio’s unexpected passing comes as he was working on several major projects, including a film adaptation of Alejandro Zambra’s acclaimed novel Chilean Poet. Production had begun in September, just weeks before his death.
He was also developing Voyagers, a biographical drama about legendary astronomer Carl Sagan and his wife, Ann Druyan, with Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones attached to star.
Born in Mendoza, Argentina, in 1974, Lelio moved to Chile with his family when he was just 2 years old. He eventually pursued filmmaking, making his feature directorial debut with The Sacred Family in 2005.
His international breakthrough came with the 2013 drama Gloria, which followed a divorced woman in her 50s navigating romance and independence. The film earned widespread praise, with lead actress Paulina García winning the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival.
But it was his 2017 film A Fantastic Woman that transformed Lelio into an Oscar-winning filmmaker.
The critically acclaimed drama starred Daniela Vega as a transgender woman facing discrimination and grief following the death of her partner. The film won Best Foreign Language Film at the 2018 Academy Awards, becoming the first Chilean feature to win the prestigious honor.
The historic victory cemented Lelio’s reputation as one of Latin America’s most influential filmmakers and opened the door to major English-language productions.
He went on to direct the 2018 romantic drama Disobedience, starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams, before reimagining his earlier film Gloria as the 2019 Hollywood production Gloria Bell, starring Julianne Moore and John Turturro.
In 2022, he teamed up with Florence Pugh for Netflix’s psychological period drama The Wonder, further expanding his international audience.
His final completed feature, the 2025 musical drama The Wave, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and explored the student-led feminist movement that swept through Chile in 2018.
Following news of his death, Sony Pictures Classics, which distributed A Fantastic Woman in the United States, paid tribute to the director’s extraordinary creative legacy.
The company described Lelio as a singular filmmaker whose storytelling consistently challenged conventions and touched audiences around the world.
His death leaves several anticipated projects unfinished and brings an abrupt end to a celebrated career that helped introduce Chilean cinema to millions of international moviegoers.
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