Sebastián Lelio Dies at 52: Oscar-Winning 'A Fantastic Woman' Director Found Dead at Santiago Home
Sebastián Lelio, the Oscar-winning Chilean director behind A Fantastic Woman, has died at the age of 52. He was found dead at his home in the Las Condes district of Santiago, Chile, on Friday, November 6, 2026. His partner, actress Amalia Kassai, announced his death on Instagram, saying he died following health complications. No specific cause of death has been disclosed, and Chilean prosecutors have opened routine investigative procedures, a standard step when a death is reported at home.
What We Know About Sebastián Lelio's Death
Lelio was found at his home in Las Condes, Santiago, around midday on Friday, November 6, 2026, according to Chilean media reports. His longtime partner, German-Chilean actress Amalia Kassai, found him and called police. In a statement shared on her Instagram account on behalf of both families, she wrote: "With great sadness, we announce the death, following health complications, of Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio." The statement asked for privacy and ended with the words, "Only love remains."
Chile's Fiscalía Metropolitana Oriente, the eastern metropolitan prosecutor's office, confirmed that it had opened investigative diligences at the Las Condes address. Prosecutor Jorge Reyes visited the home, and the inquiry was assigned to the homicide brigade of Chile's Investigative Police (PDI). Chilean outlets including Canal 13, T13, CNN Chile, BioBioChile and Emol stressed that this is a routine step under Chilean practice when a death is reported at home — not a finding on the cause of death, and authorities have announced no findings indicating foul play.
Chile's government declared November 7 and 8 days of official mourning. The Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage offered its condolences, and tributes poured in from filmmakers, actors and festivals around the world.
The Director Who Put Chilean Cinema on the World Map
Born Sebastián Lelio Watt on March 8, 1974, in Mendoza, Argentina, and raised in Chile, Lelio became the most internationally celebrated Chilean filmmaker of his generation. His breakthrough came with Gloria (2013), a tender portrait of a divorced woman in her late 50s reclaiming her life in Santiago, starring Paulina García. The film won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival and established Lelio as a director with a rare gift for intimate, character-driven stories.
His defining achievement followed in 2017 with A Fantastic Woman (Una mujer fantástica), starring Daniela Vega as Marina, a transgender woman facing grief, prejudice and hostility after the sudden death of her partner. The film premiered at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival, where Lelio won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay, and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards in 2018 — the first Chilean feature ever to claim the prize. It also won the Teddy Award at Berlin and reshaped how transgender stories were told on screen, with Vega becoming the first openly transgender presenter at the Oscars.
Lelio's English-language work brought him to Hollywood's biggest stars. Disobedience (2017) starred Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams in a drama about forbidden love in London's Orthodox Jewish community. Gloria Bell (2018), his English-language remake of Gloria, starred Julianne Moore. The Wonder (2022), a Netflix period thriller starring Florence Pugh as a nurse investigating a girl who claims to survive without food, premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. His most recent released film, The Wave (La ola), premiered in the Cannes Premiere section of the Cannes Film Festival in 2025.
His Final Film Was Still in Production
At the time of his death, Lelio was filming Poeta Chileno (The Chilean Poet), an adaptation of Alejandro Zambra's acclaimed novel. Filming had begun in late September 2026 in Chile, and production has now been suspended following his sudden death. It is not yet known whether the film will be completed.
The unfinished project adds to the sense of loss in the film world: Lelio was at the height of his powers, moving between Spanish- and English-language cinema with unusual ease, and his films were regular fixtures at Berlin, Cannes, Venice and Telluride. His death at 52 has drawn comparisons to other sudden losses of major filmmakers, and the tributes have focused on both his artistry and his humanity — colleagues described him as a gentle, curious and deeply empathetic director who gave his actors extraordinary trust.
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For readers following the biggest stories in entertainment, the shock of Lelio's death echoes other sudden losses that have shaken Hollywood this year — including the sentencing of Russell Brand, another story that dominated entertainment headlines this week. Meanwhile, the film world continues to look ahead: the Ramayana box office run shows audiences still turning out in force for big-screen spectacle, the kind of cinema Lelio championed in his own quieter, more intimate way.
Lelio leaves behind a body of work that changed Chilean cinema forever. Before A Fantastic Woman, no Chilean film had won an Oscar. After it, Chilean filmmakers found doors open at festivals and studios around the world. His films — about women rebuilding their lives, about outsiders demanding dignity, about love that defies convention — will continue to be watched, studied and loved. As his family wrote in their farewell: only love remains.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Sebastián Lelio die?
Sebastián Lelio died on Friday, November 6, 2026, at his home in Las Condes, Santiago, Chile. His family said he died following health complications but did not disclose a specific medical cause. Chilean prosecutors opened routine investigative procedures, which is standard practice when a death is reported at home, and have announced no findings of foul play.
How old was Sebastián Lelio when he died?
Sebastián Lelio was 52 years old. He was born Sebastián Lelio Watt on March 8, 1974, and died on November 6, 2026.
Who announced Sebastián Lelio's death?
His partner, actress Amalia Kassai, announced his death on Instagram on November 6, 2026, sharing a statement from the Lelio Kassai and Campos Watt families. She found him at their home in Las Condes and called police, according to Chilean media reports.
What was Sebastián Lelio best known for?
Lelio was best known for A Fantastic Woman (2017), which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2018 — the first Chilean film ever to win an Oscar. His other acclaimed films include Gloria (2013), Disobedience (2017), Gloria Bell (2018), The Wonder (2022) and The Wave (2025).
What was Sebastián Lelio working on when he died?
Lelio was filming Poeta Chileno (The Chilean Poet), an adaptation of Alejandro Zambra's novel. Filming began in late September 2026 and has been suspended following his death. It is not yet known whether the film will be completed.
Did Chile declare national mourning for Sebastián Lelio?
Yes. Chile's government declared November 7 and 8, 2026, days of official mourning following Lelio's death, and the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage issued condolences.
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