Urbanworld Film Festival Marks Its 30th Edition at Union Square, NYC

Urbanworld Film Festival, which centers multicultural filmmakers and the audiences who follow them, held its 30th edition from October 14 to 18, 2026, at Regal Union Square, 850 Broadway. The festival's own site framed the year as the "Road to 30."

The program had four parts. Premieres and screenings formed the core. Filmmaker networking followed, which in earlier years has included a lunch hosted at the Directors Guild of America. Parties and nightlife events rounded out the social side, and the Innovation Summit looked at where film meets technology and new media.

Two Spotlight Films, both free to attend at Regal Union Square, were scheduled for Saturday, October 17. At 4:00 PM ET came the East Coast premiere of "Forests of the First Stewards," a documentary on the Menominee Nation's sustainable forestry, tracing it from ancient traditions to present-day stewardship. At 5:45 PM ET, "Tulsa King" screened with Jay Will on hand to meet the audience. The series follows Dwight "The General" Manfredi, who is sent to Tulsa after 25 years in prison and builds an unlikely crew there.

Urbanworld is the signature initiative of the Urbanworld Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to redefine and advance the presence and impact of the multicultural community in cinema and cross-platform media. HBO is the founding partner and Warner Bros. Discovery the prestige partner. The site also features words from alumni including Ava DuVernay, Nelson George, Alex Rivera, One9, and Chike & Coodie. It quotes Lisa Cortés, president of Cortés Filmworks, who said no other festival has furthered the community like Urbanworld, and that it is about access.

Passes were sold through the festival's website. Union Square, where several subway lines meet, made the venue straightforward to reach for a single screening or the full five days.