Chilean director Sebastián Lelio dies at 52, Santiago festival dedicates final days to him

Sebastián Lelio, the Chilean filmmaker who won an Oscar for A Fantastic Woman, has died at the age of 52. He died in Santiago on Nov. 6, and his family reported the death. The cause was given as health reasons, with no specific cause disclosed.

The news reached the Santiago Film Festival, known as Sanfic, while it was still running. Sanfic's industry ceremony on Nov. 6 and its festival ceremony on Nov. 7 both had their red-carpet portions cancelled. Festival director Carlos Nuñez and Gabriela Sandoval, head of Sanfic Industria, the festival's industry arm, have dedicated the rest of the event to Lelio, according to Variety.

The festival closes on Sunday, 8 November. Its prizes were still handed out in that final stretch. Antonio Caro's documentary Monguen won Best Picture among Chilean films in competition. Marcelo Martinessi's Narciso won Best Feature among international films in competition. Thomas Woodroffe won Best Chilean Director for Erratics (Bloques erráticos), his debut feature. Paulina García won Best Actress for Love Is the Monster.

Lelio was still working when he died. He was filming an adaptation of Alejandro Zambra's novel Chilean Poet for the production company Fabula. He was also in pre-production on Voyagers, an English-language film starring Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones. Variety reported both projects.

Lelio's family has announced that the Cineteca Nacional, Chile's national film archive in Santiago, will be open to anyone who wants to pay their respects.

Lelio's work reached far beyond Chile. A Fantastic Woman won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, now called International Feature Film, and made him known to audiences around the world. For many people at Sanfic this week, the festival's prize list and its moments of silence are how they will remember him.