First Edition,
First Impact
MK2 Stalingrad, November 2005: the street invades the screen.
It all began in the early 2000s with the B BOY TV show and the first short films shot during international meetings. Awarded abroad but misunderstood in France, we appeared as "UFOs" in an overly classic cinematic landscape.
In its early days, the festival reflected an overlooked reality: filming the streets, their practices and stories, in a context where resources were scarce and people were often wary. This cinema did not speak of hatred but rather noted it, before ending with love and hope.
Alongside Hayette Fellah, François founded RStyle and organized the very first screening of the Urban Films Festival. 35 films, as many perspectives on the city: a shockwave for the public and the press.
In November 2005, the MK2 Stalingrad hosted the first edition: a founding moment that finally opened the doors to a youth that had been kept apart until then, reconciling the street and cinema. Very quickly, the festival was exported to Belgium, Spain, Italy, and Canada, winning the Francophonie Prize and the Authenticity Prize, before being invited to the Hip Hop Film Festival in Los Angeles.
From a Popular Neighborhood to International Influence
True to its roots, the UFF builds bridges between generations, neighborhoods and horizons.
Twenty years later, technological accessibility has put the camera in everyone’s hands: filming is no longer a privilege, but an opportunity open to all.
The UFF has embraced this shift by transforming itself: no longer just a venue for screenings, it has become a true platform for experimentation. Between hybrid performances, immersive cinema and groundbreaking creations like the Hip Hop Show 360, the festival continues to explore new ways of experiencing and sharing urban cinema, always in tune with its time.
But the UFF has never forgotten its roots: it still brings screenings to working-class neighborhoods, at Le 104 or in open-air venues, changing perceptions without ever reducing the street to a distant “elsewhere.” Here, there is no hierarchy: neighborhoods remain at the heart. The festival acts as a bridge between social and artistic worlds, connecting the professional film industry with semi-professional and self-taught creators.
Through its strategic partnerships (DRAC Île-de-France, Conseil Départemental 93, Netflix), its reach now extends internationally, from Montréal to Nouméa, from Los Angeles to Paris. Yet its mission remains unchanged since day one: to showcase, to understand and to transmit urban cinema, everywhere and for everyone.
THE FESTIVAL’S MISSION: Dream and Transmit
More than a competition, a living laboratory of street cultures and the cinema of tomorrow.
From conservatory to forward-looking platform, the UFF has evolved to:
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Experiment with new forms of writing and hybrid expressions of cinema,
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Transmit twenty years of archives to future generations,
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Propel 30 new talents into the spotlight each year,
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Reinvent the relationship with urban cinema so it remains a space of free, poetic and daring creation.
The UFF is no longer just a screening venue: it is a driving force for innovation and transmission, always in motion.
