Sebastian Lelio, the Chilean writer-director whose films earned international acclaim and an Academy Award, has died. He was 52. Lelio was found dead on Friday at his home in the Las Condes district of Santiago by his partner, Amalia Kassai, according to the Chilean news outlet El Mercurio Online.
Lelio built a reputation for intense, character-driven dramas that often explored themes of identity, desire, and social upheaval. His work frequently premiered at major film festivals, including Berlin, Toronto, Telluride, and Cannes.
A Fantastic Woman and International Acclaim
His breakthrough came with A Fantastic Woman, a 2017 drama starring Daniela Vega as a transgender woman navigating the grief and prejudice she faces after the death of her partner. The film made history as the first Chilean production to win the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in 2018. It also took home the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Award for Best International Film.
David Rooney, the chief film critic for The Hollywood Reporter, described the film as having “startling intensity” and “sinuous mood shifts” wrapped in a coherent vision. The movie was noted for its rapturous and restorative qualities, balancing shocking and surreal moments with deep emotional resonance.
Lelio also co-wrote and directed Disobedience, a 2017 psychological thriller starring Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, and Alessandro Nivola. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. His later work included The Wonder, a 2022 film about religious fanaticism and sexual abuse starring Florence Pugh, which debuted at the Telluride Film Festival.
Gloria Bell and The Wave
Before his international success, Lelio co-wrote and directed Gloria in 2013. The film, which premiered in Berlin, starred Paulina Garcia as a middle-aged divorcee. He later handled the English-language remake, Gloria Bell, in 2018. The remake starred Julianne Moore and John Turturro. Lelio served as the writer and director for this version, adapting the story for an American audience.
His most recent project was The Wave, a musical drama that entered the Cannes Film Festival in 2025. The film centers on a Chilean college student played by Daniela Lopez and was inspired by the feminist protest movement that swept through Chile in 2018.
Lelio was born in Argentina on March 8, 1974. His family moved to Viña del Mar, Chile, when he was two years old. He studied at the Chilean Film School and began his career with a series of short films. His first feature, The Sacred Family, a sexual drama released in 2005, impressed audiences at the San Sebastian Film Festival. He also directed Navidad in 2009 and The Year of the Tiger in 2011.
At the time of his death, Lelio was working on a film adaptation of Chilean Poet, based on a novel by Alejandro Zambra. His passing marks the end of a career that left a significant mark on contemporary Latin American cinema.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
