The Santa Fe International Film Festival announced Wednesday that Edward James Olmos will receive the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award on Oct. 18. This honor will be bestowed upon Olmos in recognition of his career as an Emmy-winning actor and an activist.
Past recipients of SFIFF’s Lifetime Achievement Award include Tantoo Cardinal, Bryan Cranston, Catherine Hardwick, Sterlin Harjo, Shirley MacLaine, Godfrey Reggio, Jay Roach, Gena Rowlands, John Sayles and Oliver Stone.
“Beyond the screen, Olmos has been a relentless advocate for underrepresented voices,” SFIFF organizers said in a statement. “As a co-founder of the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, Latino Film Institute and Latino Public Broadcasting, he has helped shape the cultural landscape for future generations.”
Olmos began his career as a stage actor, with one of his first significant roles being that of El Pachuco in the play “Zoot Suit,” a fictionalized retelling of the Zoot Suit Riots and Sleepy Lagoon murder trial written by Luis Valdez. This role earned Olmos a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. Olmos later broke out onto the screen by appearing in the film adaptation of “Zoot Suit,” written and directed by Valdez, in 1981.
The following year, Olmos went on to appear in Ridley Scott’s seminal sci-fi noir “Blade Runner,” portraying Officer Gaff alongside Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard. Olmos later appeared as Gaff in “Blade Runner 2049.”
1984 saw Olmos appear for the first time in the series “Miami Vice,” with his character Lt. Martin Castillo eventually featuring in more than 100 episodes. In 1985, Olmos won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for the role.
1988 saw Olmos pick up his first and only Academy Award nomination — Best Actor in the Jaime Escalante biopic “Stand and Deliver.” Olmos likewise received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor (Motion Picture Drama) for the role, and won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.
One of Olmos’ most notable roles came in the early 2000s, when he portrayed Commander William Adama in “Battlestar Galactica.” Olmos starred in the series, appearing in all of its four seasons and directing four episodes of the show.
“Known for a myriad of roles and an ability to inspire countless audiences, Edward James Olmos has demonstrated through his exceptional career an aptitude in many aspects of cinema, from sci-fi to Latino Film to animation,” said Liesette Bailey, Executive Director of SFIFF, in a statement. “We’re thrilled to honor an actor and director who is not only known for his enduring performances, but also for being a leader in so many different types of film.”
SFIFF 2025 will run from Oct. 15 to Oct. 20. The festival will present Olmos with the Lifetime Achievement Award on Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Lensic Performing Arts Center.
