ULYA | North American Premiere & Director Talk — NY Baltic Film Festival 2026

See the North American Premiere of ULYA, a poignant biopic of legendary Latvian athlete Uļjana Semjonova, in the 2026 New York Baltic Film Festival! Director Viesturs Kairišs will be present for a talk on the film, which had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival and is Latvia’s entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards. This screening will be followed by a reception.
Soviet Union, Latvia, 1964. On the Paberze farm in the snowy fields in Latgale, teenager Ulya’s height is approaching two meters at an alarming rate, and does not seem to be stopping. So far she has found a safe haven in her village, where she is surrounded by her loving family and helps out with farmwork. But both Ulya and her parents are troubled, questioning whether there is a place in the world for a giant-sized girl.
When her older sister Tatjana’s fiancé Pavel secretly sends Ulja’s class photo to Karbergs, head coach of the Latvian women’s basketball team TTT, they soon have an answer. Seeing huge potential, Karbergs whisks the girl away to capital Riga, where Ulya hopes to find taller houses and taller people. But on the basketball court, her height sticks out even more – until, with the help of her ill-mannered and foul-mouthed coach, she discovers that the best way to avoid derision is to start playing better.
With hard work comes first success. But as Ulya rises on her path towards stardom, she must deal with the painful realization that others see her as a means for their own ends, and that basketball may not help her quest for a normal life. As an important professional test approaches—the famous Leningrad Spartakiad—Ulya must face her own reality, and choose what she really wants.
The 9th Annual New York Baltic Film Festival (NYBFF) presented by Scandinavia House: The Nordic Center in America returns this November continuing its tradition of bringing the best new films from the Baltic region to New York audiences. Learn more here: https://www.balticfilmfestival.com/
𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 & 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀: https://www.balticfilmfestival.com/box-office-2026
𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗽: https://www.balticfilmfestival.com/2026-in-person-screenings
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𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚
𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 & 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀: https://go.amscan.org/NYBFF2026
𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 ($15/$10 ASF Members) *All Films Except Opening Night
𝗜𝗻-𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀 ($125/$95 ASF Members) grants access to all in-person screenings at Scandinavia House except the Opening Night.
𝗩𝗜𝗣 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀 ($425) grants access to all in-person and virtual screenings, two Opening Night tickets, six additional in-person screening tickets for a guest, an NYBFF mug and a personal acknowledgment on the NYBFF website.
𝟱-𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗲 ($65/$45 ASF Members) grants access to five screenings.
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𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗬𝗢𝗥𝗞 𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗧𝗜𝗖 𝗙𝗜𝗟𝗠 𝗙𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗔𝗟
Established in 2018, the New York Baltic Film Festival is presented and organized by Scandinavia House in collaboration with the Embassy of Estonia to the U.S., Consulate General of Lithuania in NYC, Permanent Mission of Latvia to the United Nations in New York, and Honorary Consulate of Latvia in Vermont. Generous support has been provided by Edhard Corporation. Other financial support for the festival comes from the Estonian Film Institute, National Film Center of Latvia, and Lithuanian Film Center, with additional sponsorship by the American-Scandinavian Foundation, American Latvian Association, Estonian Ministry of Culture, Estonian American National Council (EKRÜ), World Federation of Free Latvians (PBLA), Honorary Consulate General of Latvia in New York, Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA).