[REVISION HISTORY]

Death of Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio

4 recorded revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-11-09 09:02 UTC → 2026-11-09 09:03 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Acclaimed Chilean director, screenwriter, and producer Sebastián Lelio has died at the age of 52 in Santiago, Chile. He was found dead in his home in the Las Condes district on Friday, November 7. His partner, actress Amalia Kassai, announced his passing via Instagram, citing health complications as the cause of death. Lelio gained international recognition for his ~~2018~~ 2017 film ‘A Fantastic Woman,’ which was the first Chilean film to win the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. The film, starring Daniela Vega, was a landmark for Chilean cinema and contributed to national legislative discussions regarding gender identity. His body of work includes ‘Gloria,’ ‘Disobedience,’ ‘The Wonder,’ and ‘The Year of the Tiger.’ At the time of his death, he was working on his tenth feature film, ‘The Chilean Poet,’ an adaptation of a novel by Alejandro Zambra. The Chilean government has declared two days of official mourning to honor his contributions to the nation’s culture and his role in bringing Latin American stories to the global stage. Following his death, the Santiago International Film Festival (Sanfic) scaled back its ceremonies, with festival leadership dedicating the remainder of the event to Lelio. Tributes have been offered by global film figures, including Julianne Moore and Daniela Vega, who celebrated his empathetic ~~storytelling.~~ storytelling, rigor, and ability to portray diverse human experiences with dignity.

Versions

Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.