Texas-raised actor Lou Diamond Phillips will be honored at the 2026 Dallas International Film Festival.
The Young Guns actor was born at a naval station in the Philippines, but his family moved to Texas shortly after his birth. Phillips grew up in Flour Bluff, a small neighborhood of Corpus Christi, and later graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington in the early 1980s.
Phillips is set to receive the “DIFF Dallas Star Award” at this year’s festival, which runs from April 23-30.
The 64-year-old actor will be honored at a luncheon hosted by Virgin Hotels Dallas on April 24. There, he will discuss his latest film, Keep Quiet, onstage with “NBC 5 Today” anchor Deborah Ferguson. The film will then have its North American premiere at the festival the following day.
“We are delighted that Lou Diamond Phillips will be joining us to accept the DIFF Dallas Star Award and to share his latest film,” DIFF Dallas CEO Beth Wilbins said in a press release. “Adding his name to the list of previous recipients of the Star Award has special meaning to everyone who has known him over the years through DIFF.”
Previous award winners include Lauren Bacall, Helen Hunt, David Lynch, Bill Paxton, Sidney Pollack, Charlize Theron and more.
Phillips has been acting since the mid-1980s. His first credited role came in 1984 as “Punk 1” in the sci-fi film Interface. He next appeared in episodes of Dallas and Miami Vice.
Phillips’ breakout role came as Chicano rocker Ritchie Valens in 1987’s La Bamba. The film was nominated for Best Drama at the Golden Globes and also landed a Grammy nomination for its soundtrack.
The following year in 1988, Phillips appeared in two more famous roles in Stand and Deliver and Young Guns. From there, Phillips was off to the races and appeared in a number of film and television roles over the next few decades.
In addition to acting, Phillips has directed a few movies and several episodes of television.
The Dallas International Film Festival is celebrating its 20th year in 2026. More than 120 films will play this year’s festival, with some entries making their world premiere like One in a Million and Blood Behind Us. Both films were made in North Texas.
Other films with Texas ties playing at the festival include $10 Cowboy, a documentary about former Dallas singer Charley Crockett, and Thank You For Listening about Dallas singer Joshua Ray Walker‘s cancer battle.
There’s a star pass ($300) for all events, a festival pass ($250) for all screenings, a film pass ($100) for seniors/students and a short film package ($75). Individual passes are also available for each screening.
Brayden Garcia Fort Worth Star-Telegram (TNS)