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Chilean Director Sebastián Lelio Dies at 52

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In Short: The director's partner, Amalia Kassai, shared the news on Instagram, saying, 'It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio, due to health-related reasons,' as reported by Vulture.

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle and Temple Daily Telegram reported that Sebastián Lelio, the acclaimed director of 'A Fantastic Woman,' died at the age of 52 due to unspecified health reasons. The Killeen Daily Herald and Heraldbulletin confirmed that Lelio was found dead at his home in Las Condes, Santiago, on Friday morning.

Lelio's family announced his passing on social media, stating, 'With great sadness we announce the death due to health reasons of the Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio. We are living through a moment of great pain and his memory will be with us forever,' according to the Los Angeles Times and The Mercury News.

The director's partner, Amalia Kassai, shared the news on Instagram, saying, 'It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio, due to health-related reasons,' as reported by Vulture.

Lelio's death was confirmed by multiple outlets, including the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, CNA Lifestyle, and Entertainment Weekly. The family cited 'health reasons' as the cause of death, though the exact nature of these reasons was not specified.

Lelio was born in Argentina but moved to Chile at age two and studied at the Chilean Film School. He won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film for 'A Fantastic Woman' in 2018, making him the first Chilean filmmaker to win in that category.

His other notable works include 'Gloria,' 'The Wonder,' and 'Disobedience.' Lelio had begun filming 'Poeta Chileno' based on the book by Alejandro Zambra in September.

Lelio's contributions to Chilean culture were widely recognized. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle noted, 'He was a beautiful person who contributed to Chilean culture in great moments of its history.'

The director was also developing an English-language project called 'Voyagers,' starring Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones, according to HOLA.

Lelio's death has been mourned by the film industry. The Killeen Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division is investigating the death, though no foul play is suspected.

Lelio's death marks Chile's second Academy Award win, following the animated short 'Bear Story' in 2016.

Lelio's work was characterized by his humanistic approach and groundbreaking portrayals of diverse characters. His film 'Gloria,' which won at the Berlinale, was remade in 2019 as 'Gloria Bell,' starring Julianne Moore.

The news of Lelio's death has been met with widespread sadness and tributes from the film community. TheWrap quoted Lelio as saying, 'So if you’re going to work within a genre, it’s almost your duty, not to necessarily subvert it, but to expand it, to make self-aware narratives.'

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• FILE - Sebastian Lelio, winner of the award for best foreign language film for "A Fantastic Woman", poses in the press room at the Oscars in Los Angeles on March 4, 2018.
• FILE - Florence Pugh and Sebastián Lelio, left, pose for photographers at the premiere of the film "The Wonder" during the 2022 BFI London Film Festival in London on Oct.
• FILE - Director Sebastian Lelio appears at the photocall for the film "La Ola" at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France on May 17, 2025.
• FILE - Director Sebastian Lelio poses for a portrait for the film "La Ola" at the 78th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, on May 18, 2025.
• Lelio’s other works include "Gloria," "The Wonder," and “Disobedience.” He had begun filming “Poeta Chileno” in September.
• SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Oscar-winning Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio, whose acclaimed drama “A Fantastic Woman” broke ground with its portrayal of a transgender woman, has died in Santiago, Chile, at 52.
• Lelio was known for his groundbreaking film “A Fantastic Woman,” which portrayed a transgender woman and won the Academy Award for best international film.
• “His memory will remain forever among us,” the family said.
• Lelio’s other films include Gloria, The Wave, The Wonder, Disobedience, and The Year of the Tiger.
• 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.
• Sebastián Lelio, the Chilean filmmaker whose "A Fantastic Woman" made Academy Awards history and whose international career included collaborations with Julianne Moore, Rachel Weisz, and Florence Pugh, died Friday, Nov. 6, at 52.
• According to Chilean media reports the filmmaker was found dead at his Santiago home on Friday morning due to health reasons.

What's still developing

• Gloria, awarded at the Berlinale, had a North American remake remake in 2019, Gloria Bell, directed by Lelio himself, who recreated his own film shot by shot, this time with Julianne Moore as the protagonist.

Sources

• Bozeman Daily Chroniclelink
• CNA Lifestylelink
• Diari ARAlink
• Empirelink
• Entertainment Weeklylink
• HOLAlink
• IndieWirelink
• Latin Timeslink
• Los Angeles Timeslink
• Screen Dailylink
• Temple Daily Telegramlink
• The Guardianlink
• The Hollywood Reporterlink
• The Killeen Daily Heraldlink
• The Mercury Newslink
• TheWraplink
• MEAWW Entertainment — video link