Sebastián Lelio, the Oscar-winning director behind “A Fantastic Woman,” has died at 52.
Lelio’s death was confirmed on social media by his partner Amalia Kassai. Chilean news reports later added that he was found dead at home and Kassai’s announcement revealed it was due to “health complications.”
“With great sadness, we announce the death, following health complications, of Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio,” Kassai wrote in translation. “We are going through a time of profound grief, and his memory will remain with us forever. He was a wonderful person who made significant contributions to Chilean culture at important moments in its history. As a family, we ask for privacy and consideration during these difficult times.”
Along with being the writer-director on “A Fantastic Woman,” Lelio also helmed films like “The Wonder” and “The Wave.” He had been working on an adaptation of the Alejandro Zambra novel “The Chilean Poet” and was set for “Voyagers” which boasts a cast of Andrew Garfield as Carl Sagan and Daisy Edgar-Jones as Ann Druyan.
Lelio’s “A Fantastic Woman” won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2017, along with clutches of other awards include numbers from the Berlin Film Festival where it debuted and at The Spirit Awards.
Lelio was born on March 8, 1974 in Argentina. He moved to Chile with his mother as a boy and eventually graduated from the Chilean Film School. He directed his first feature with 2005’s “The Sacred Family.” He also made “Navidad,” “The Year of the Tiger,” and “Gloria” before his breakout and lauded hit “A Fantastic Woman.”
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