Sebastián Lelio’s partner, actress Amalia Kassai, found him dead at his home in Santiago, Chile, on November 6 – the filmmaker’s death was announced on social media
Sebastián Lelio, one of Latin America’s most celebrated modern filmmakers, has died at the age of 52.
The Chilean director’s partner, actress Amalia Kassai, discovered him dead at his home in the Las Condes district of Santiago, Chile, around midday on Friday, November 6. Lelio’s family announced his death in a social media post, citing health reasons but not specifying the cause.
“With great sadness, we announce the death, following health complications, of Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio,” the family and Kassai said in a statement posted on the actress’ Instagram account. “We are going through a time of profound grief, and his memory will remain with us forever.”
The statement added, “He was a beautiful person who contributed to Chilean culture in great moments of its history. As a family, we ask for privacy and consideration during these difficult times.”
In a further post which featured several images of the late director with his partner, she promised to love him “in this life and in all the lives to come”. Kassai, 40, described the Oscar-winning director as a person who “illuminated everything around”.
Lelio won the 2018 Academy Award for best international film – formerly known as foreign language film – for A Fantastic Woman, starring trans actress Daniela Vega as a waitress and nightclub singer whose life is torn by the death of her boyfriend. It was Chile’s second Academy Award, following the animated short Bear Story in 2016.
His other films include Gloria, The Wonder, Disobedience and The Year of the Tiger. Throughout his career, he collaborated with Julianne Moore, Rachel Weisz and Florence Pugh.
“Making a film is like a gift you leave somewhere – you then hide and see what happens,” the filmmaker said in an interview with The Guardian in 2018. His final film was The Wave, a musical protest drama that premiered at Cannes in 2025.
Lelio had begun filming Poeta Chileno (Chilean Poet), based on the book by Alejandro Zambra, in September. He was also in pre-production for Voyagers, a biographical drama about Carl Sagan starring Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones. No details have been released yet regarding the future of these projects.
The filmmaker was born in the Argentine city of Mendoza and moved to Chile at the age of two. He studied journalism for a year before enrolling at the Chilean Film School.
Sony Pictures Classics, which released A Fantastic Woman, said in a statement after the director’s death was announced: “Sebastián Lelio was a one-of-a-kind filmmaker whose work continued to evolve and surprise audiences around the world.
His distinctive storytelling and singular vision will live on through a remarkable body of work that challenged conventions, touched hearts and left an indelible mark on international cinema.”
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