Argentine filmmaker Lucas A. Vinal dies in Brazil

Lucas A. Vinal, a renowned young Argentine director and screenwriter, has died in a helicopter crash. On June 14, two helicopters collided in mid-air at Recreio dos Bandeiras in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He died. The star was only 28 years old at the time of his death.

According to information available as of Monday (June 15), an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the helicopter crash. Vinal had just begun his career in feature films. His first film was screened at the Berlin International Film Festival just a few months ago.

Vinyal was born on September 23, 1997 in Buenos Aires. He graduated from the Fundación Universidad del Cine, a private film university in Argentina.

Early in his career, he gained fame by directing music videos and visuals for a number of popular Latin American musicians, including Bizrap, J Balvin, Nicki Nicole, Duki, Crueno, and Os. In recognition of his work, he received a ‘Gardel Award’ in 2022 and was nominated again in 2024.

In 2023, the young director signed a contract with the production company ‘Underwonder Content’. He also made his debut in narrative film through a creative partnership with Lorenzo Ferro. The duo co-wrote and directed the 2024 short film La Pasion, which won the Stimulus Award for Argentine Cinema at the Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival.

The duo's joint effort culminated in the film The River Train, a drama about the life stories of two young people, which they co-directed. The film premiered at the 76th Berlinale (Berlin Film Festival) in 2026 and was selected for the New Directors/New Films program jointly presented by MoMA and Film at Lincoln Center. Vinyal also directed a few short films with popular YouTuber Gaspy.