—What is essential for someone who wants to make movies?
—Hunger. That’s a must. It’s a long-term test of perseverance.
That is how Sebastián Lelio’s masterclass began, as part of the closing ceremonyof the Academic University Film Festival (Faciuni).
“What advice would you give?” Lelio continued. “That they learn how to film and edit.”
Someone who knows how to edit can hold their own on a set, understand what a script requires, and direct an actor. Editing is like the heart—it holds all the secrets of what it takes to make a movie.
Winner of the 2018 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Lelio is a director, screenwriter, producer, and editor. In 1995, he enrolled at the Chilean Film School. He has directed numerous short films, music videos, and feature films.
He directed *Cero* (2003), a documentary based on previously unseen footage of the collapse of the Twin Towers, which he co-directed with Carlos Fuentes. Among his most notable films is *A Fantastic Woman* (2017), which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and became the second Chilean film to win an Academy Award.
