Mr. Edward James Olmos, Founder and Chairman of the Board of LFI, is an iconic actor, director, producer, and humanitarian. A star of stage, screen and television, Mr. Olmos is a multiple Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner, as well as Tony and Academy Award nominee, Mr. Olmos amazed us with his work in Zoot Suit (play 1978, movie 1981), Blade Runner, and The Ballad of Gregorio Cortes (1982), Miami Vice (1984-1990), Stand and Deliver (1988), American Me (1992), Mi Familia (1995), Selena (1997), Battlestar Galactica (2003-2010), Dexter (2011), and Mayans M.C. (2018-2023). He has been awarded fourteen honorary doctoral degrees and appeared on the cover of Time magazine. He co-established and often self-funded LALIFF from 1997 to 2013 to highlight Latino content creators and talent. The festival was placed on hiatus to allow for the 2014 establishment of the Youth Cinema Project, which is now Mr. Olmos’ most heartfelt work and legacy. LALIFF returned in 2018, this time showcasing the films of YCP students, as well as the work of established Latino content, creators, and talent.
