Sebastián Silva

Sebastián Silva Irarrázabal, born on April 9, 1979, in Santiago, is a multifaceted artist from Chile. He is known for his work as a filmmaker, actor, writer, painter, and musician. After completing his secondary education, he pursued filmmaking at the Escuela de Cine de Chile before continuing his studies in animation in Montreal, Canada. Silva's artistic journey included exhibiting his paintings in New York City while concurrently writing the screenplay for his debut feature film, "La Vida Me Mata" (translated as "Life Kills Me"), which he co-wrote with Pedro Peirano. Upon returning to Chile, he ventured into music with the release of his solo album "Iwannawin & Friends" and directed "Life Kills Me," which was produced by the Chilean company Fabula. The film achieved acclaim, winning Best Film at the 2008 Pedro Sienna Awards in Chile. In 2008, Silva shifted his focus to his next project, "The Maid," co-written with Pedro Peirano and released in 2009. The film tells the story of a long-serving maid struggling to retain her position with a family she has served for 23 years. "The Maid" garnered numerous accolades, including the Grand Jury Prize - World Cinema Dramatic at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, and nominations for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2010 Golden Globes and NAACP Image Awards. Continuing his collaboration with Pedro Peirano, Silva wrote "Old Cats," which premiered in 2010 at the Valdivia International Film Festival in Chile and the New York Film Festival in the United States. He ventured into television in 2012 with the HBO short-form comedy series "The Boring Life of Jacqueline," which he wrote, directed, and produced. Silva returned to Sundance in 2013 with two new films: "Magic Magic" and "Crystal Fairy," both starring Michael Cera. He received the Sundance Directing Award: World Cinema - Dramatic for "Crystal Fairy." Critically acclaimed, "Magic Magic" was described as an exploration of psychological turmoil and interpersonal cruelty by the LA Times. His latest work, "Rotting in the Sun," premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was screened at Outfest.