Sebastián Lelio, the Chilean film director who won an Oscar for A Fantastic Woman, has died at the age of 52. His family announced his death on Friday 6 November 2026, and reports place it at his home in Santiago, the capital of Chile.
American audiences know his work through Gloria Bell with Julianne Moore, Disobedience with Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams, and The Wonder with Florence Pugh. The Wonder is known in Spanish as El prodigio.
Key Facts
- Who. Sebastián Lelio, 52, Chilean director and Oscar winner for best foreign-language film.
- What. His family said he died “for health reasons.”
- Where. At his home, reportedly in Las Condes, a district of Santiago, Chile.
- When. Friday 6 November 2026. The family has asked for privacy.
- Status. As of 6 November 2026, 18:15 GMT, no official cause has been published.
What We Know
The news came in a statement on Instagram, posted by his partner, the actress Amalia Kassai. It read: “With great sadness we announce the death, for health reasons, of Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio.”
Two families signed it, the Lelio Kassai and the Campos Watt families. It called him “a beautiful person who contributed to Chilean culture at great moments of its history.”
Chilean media report that he died at home in Las Condes, a district of Santiago. They cite unnamed sources and describe the details as preliminary.
Fiscalía Oriente, the prosecutor’s office for eastern Santiago, said Jorge Reyes, the chief prosecutor of its flagrancy unit, was heading to the home. It said he would order investigative steps, and no cause has been announced.
Chile’s Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage paid tribute on Friday. It said he “took Chilean cinema to international stages and marked a milestone in the history of our cinematography.”
The ministry is the Chilean government body that supports the arts. Its tribute came as the news spread.
What Is Not Known
No official cause of death has been given beyond the family’s words “for health reasons.” No autopsy result has been reported.
The exact time and circumstances at the home have not been confirmed by the family or by prosecutors. The family has asked for privacy, so further detail may be slow to come.
Lelio was in the middle of shooting Poeta chileno (Chilean Poet), an adaptation of a novel by the Chilean writer Alejandro Zambra. Nobody has said whether it will be finished.
His Career in Plain English
Born in Mendoza, Argentina, on 8 March 1974, Lelio became one of Chile’s best-known directors. His early features include La sagrada familia.
Navidad followed in 2009 and was shown at Cannes, the French festival. El año del tigre reached the Locarno festival in Switzerland in 2011.
Gloria, from 2013, starred the Chilean actress Paulina García and premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. Lelio later remade it in English as Gloria Bell, which premiered in 2018 with Julianne Moore.
A Fantastic Woman (Una mujer fantástica), from 2017, starred the Chilean actress Daniela Vega. It won the Oscar for best foreign-language film at the 2018 ceremony, the first Chilean film to win that category.
Disobedience, also from 2017, starred Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams. The Wonder (El prodigio in Spanish) followed in 2022, with Florence Pugh.
His film La ola premiered out of competition at Cannes in 2025.
What It Means for US Readers
For American film fans, Lelio was a Chilean director who also worked with stars they already knew. His Oscar win for A Fantastic Woman and his later English-language films brought him that wider audience.
The loss is above all a cultural one for Chile, whose Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage has already called him a milestone for Chilean cinema. The future of Poeta chileno is unannounced, and it is the next thing to watch.
Readers who want more on the country can follow our Chile coverage. We will report any new details from the family or prosecutors as they emerge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Sebastián Lelio?
A Chilean film director, born on 8 March 1974 in Mendoza, Argentina. He won the Oscar for best foreign-language film for A Fantastic Woman at the 2018 ceremony.
How did Sebastián Lelio die?
His family said he died “for health reasons.” No official cause or autopsy result has been published, and a prosecutor in eastern Santiago is investigating.
Which Lelio films did English-speaking audiences see?
They know Gloria Bell with Julianne Moore and Disobedience with Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams. They also know The Wonder with Florence Pugh.
What happens to Poeta chileno?
Lelio was shooting it, adapted from Alejandro Zambra’s novel. Its future has not been announced.
Sources: Chile’s Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage statement; the Lelio Kassai and Campos Watt families’ statement; Fiscalía Oriente (eastern Santiago prosecutor’s office).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief