Lelio's 'A Fantastic Woman' wins Oscar for best foreign-language film

On 4 March 2018, at the 90th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Chilean director Sebastián Lelio's "A Fantastic Woman" ("Una mujer fantástica") won the Oscar for best foreign-language film. It was the first Academy Award ever won by a Chilean film.

The drama follows Marina, a young trans woman and singer, played by Daniela Vega, as she faces suspicion, prejudice and humiliation after the sudden death of her older partner. Lelio co-wrote the script with Gonzalo Maza. Vega's performance drew wide praise, and she became the first openly transgender person to present at the Oscars ceremony.

The film had premiered at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival (the Berlinale), where it won the Silver Bear for best screenplay. That festival success helped carry it into the awards season and built a long link between Lelio and Berlin, where he later worked and spent much time.

The win was widely seen as a milestone for Chilean cinema and for the visibility of transgender characters and performers on screen. It established Lelio as an internationally known director, and he went on to make English-language films such as "Disobedience" and "Gloria Bell".