Chile's Oscar-winning director Sebastian Lelio died in Santiago on Friday at the age of 52, his family reported.
The Argentine-born filmmaker raised in Chile is best known for his 2017 masterpiece "A Fantastic Woman," which took home an Oscar and a Silver Bear at the Berlinale.
"With great sadness we announce the death, due to health reasons, of filmmaker Sebastian Lelio," his partner Amalia Kassai wrote on Instagram.
"We are going through a very painful time, and his memory will remain with us forever," she said.
Prosecutors were investigating the exact cause of his death, the office told reporters.
Lelio first gained recognition for his 2013 film "Gloria," whose lead actor Paulina Garcia received the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin International Film Festival.
"A Fantastic Woman," about a transgender waitress reeling from her boyfriend's death, cemented his international reputation.
Not only did it win the Oscar for best foreign language film, but it sparked a debate that helped change the law in his native Chile, allowing people to legally change their gender.
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