Oscar-Winning Director Sebastián Lelio Dies at 52
Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio, who won an Oscar for A Fantastic Woman, has died aged 52. His family cited health complications. Julianne Moore and his partner, actress Amalia Kassai, paid tribute as he left two films unfinished.
Oscar-winning director Sebastián Lelio, the Chilean filmmaker behind A Fantastic Woman, has died aged 52. He was found dead at his home in Santiago, Chile, on November 6, 2026, according to multiple local publications.
His partner, actress Amalia Kassai, reportedly found him and alerted authorities. Kassai and his family said he died of "health complications". No exact cause of death has been made public, and it is not known whether he had ongoing health problems.
A Chilean first at the Oscars
Lelio won an Oscar for A Fantastic Woman in 2018. The 2017 film became the first Chilean picture to win the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and gave Chile its second Oscar win.
His career spanned 30 years as a director, screenwriter and producer. Other notable projects include the 2017 drama Disobedience, starring Rachel McAdams and Rachel Weisz, and the 2022 drama The Wonder, starring Florence Pugh.
In 2018 he worked closely with Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore on the psychological drama Gloria Bell.
Two projects in progress
At the time of his death, Lelio was developing Voyagers, an English-language film set to star Daisy Edgar-Jones and Andrew Garfield. He was also filming a Spanish drama titled Poeta chileno.
Family statement
His loved ones announced the death in a statement on social media. "With great sadness, we announce the death of Chilean filmmaker Sebastian Lelio following health complications," they wrote.
They described a time of "profound grief" and called him "a wonderful person who made significant contributions to Chilean culture at important moments in its history". The family asked for "privacy and consideration during these difficult times".
Tributes from Moore and Kassai
Moore said working with Lelio "was one of the most beautiful experiences of my career". She recalled that when the two decided to make a film together, they took a polaroid to mark the moment.
She remembered him as "thoughtful, tender, joyful, and empathetic". "A thoroughly exacting filmmaker, he managed to capture the minute details of everyday life, nothing escaped his notice," Moore wrote.
Kassai shared a carousel of photos of the couple in a tribute that has been translated into English. She called Lelio "an important person" to many and wrote that "He illuminated everything and everyone around him".
She thanked people for their messages and support. She said she cannot reply to everyone but will announce updates soon.
"I love you in this life and in all those to come... Only love remains," Kassai wrote.
