Uļa Film Charity Screening Generates Support for Sports Veterans

Latvian biographical drama film “Uļa” has drawn 60,000 spectators in local cinemas and captured 23,000 admissions during its opening week, according to reporting by 1188.lv. That opening figure marked the strongest start for a domestic feature film in Latvia since 2019.

Charity Screening In Riga Generates Support For Retired Athletes

All ticket revenue from an evening screening of “Uļa” was donated to the Latvian Olympians Social Fund, a charity supporting sports veterans that was led for many years by the film’s real-life subject, legendary basketball player Uļjana Semjonova, tv3.lv reported. Following the screening, audiences met actor Kārlis Arnolds Avots, who portrayed Semjonova and co-authored the film’s idea and screenplay.

Avots returned to public appearances after filming abroad, telling tv3.lv that he was pleasantly surprised by the warm reception. Filmējoties ārzemēs, mani kolēģi pat netic, ka mākslas filma – melnbalta filma par unikālu un neparastu personību – spējusi pārspēt tādus grāvējus kā "Zirnekļcilvēks" un citus amerikāņu blokbāsterus, Avots said, according to tv3.lv. Tas, ka filmu Latvijā noskatījies tik daudz skatītāju, ir pilnīgi neticami un vislielākais kompliments.

Cannes Premiere And International Film Festival Run

Directed by Viestur Kairiš, “Uļa” held its world premiere on May 21, 2026, in the “Un Certain Regard” competitive program at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, where LA.lv reported it received a seven-minute standing ovation. The red carpet event was attended by international actors including Penelope Cruz, Tilda Swinton, Marion Cotillard, and Demi Moore, alongside Latvian entrepreneur and patron Maksims Mališko, according to LA.lv.

The feature film is a four-way co-production involving Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and Lithuania, produced by Ego Media alongside Allfilm, Staron Film, and Tremora, as outlined by 1188.lv. The story explores 1960s Latvia and focuses on Semjonova’s adolescence, her nearly two-meter height, and her navigation of athletic training alongside a desire for ordinary life, as detailed by LA.lv.

Academy Award Submission And European Screenings

Following its festival debut, a National Film Centre expert commission selected the black-and-white feature as Latvia’s official submission for the Academy Award in the Best International Feature Film category, according to LA.lv and tv3.lv. The international tour continued through November 2026 with festival screenings in Lübeck and Tallinn, alongside a North American premiere in New York, tv3.lv reported.

While 1188.lv noted that the exact charitable sum raised during the Riga screening would be calculated following ticket sales finalization, the precise total remained unspecified in the available source material.