Boulifa's transition to feature films was marked by Lynn + Lucy (2020), a critically acclaimed exploration of working-class life in Essex.
His parents had immigrated to the United Kingdom from Morocco, working as nursing assistants and later also running an ice cream van.
[2] Boulifa watched videos brought home by his brother and developed a passion for horror movies as a child.
This led him to pursue a DIY approach, making short films "on a trial and error basis," during a time when there was development funding targeted at filmmakers from regional and ethnic minority backgrounds.
[2] Boulifa has gained recognition for his skill in directing untrained actors, with Roxanne Scrimshaw receiving praise for her debut in Lynn + Lucy.
He continued this trend with Aicha Tebbae and Abdellah El Hajjouji, previously unknown Moroccan actors, delivering acclaimed performances as mother and son in The Damned Don't Cry.