Sebastián Silva

Sebastián Silva Irarrázabal, born on April 9, 1979, in Santiago, Chile, is a multifaceted artist known for his work as a director, actor, screenwriter, painter, and musician.

As the second of seven siblings, Sebastián completed his education at the Catholic Colegio del Verbo Divino in Santiago before embarking on a brief study of filmmaking at the Escuela de Cine de Chile. He later moved to Montreal, Canada, to study animation, where he held his first gallery exhibition of illustrations and formed the band CHC, which produced three albums. After his second art show introduced him to Hollywood, he faced a challenging period in Los Angeles while pitching to notable figures like Steven Spielberg without success. Returning to his roots, he formed two additional bands, Yaia and Los Mono, with the latter being signed to the British label Sonic360.

In New York City, he showcased his artwork while penning the script for his debut feature, La Vida Me Mata (“Life Kills Me”), co-written with Pedro Peirano. Once back in Chile, he produced a solo album, Iwannawin & Friends, and directed Life Kills Me, which debuted in 2007 and won Best Film at the 2008 Pedro Sienna Awards. In 2009, he released The Maid, a narrative about a maid's loyalty to a family over two decades, garnering numerous accolades, including the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Silva continued collaborating with Peirano on Old Cats, which premiered in 2010, and made his television debut with the HBO short-comedy series The Boring Life of Jacqueline in 2012. His films Magic Magic and Crystal Fairy, both featuring Michael Cera, premiered at Sundance in 2013; the former was described by the LA Times as “an exploration of insanity,” while Silva received the Sundance Directing Award for Crystal Fairy. His latest work, Rotting in the Sun, also premiered at the Sundance