The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival will mark its 30th anniversary edition by opening with “Ulya,” the Malaysian drama directed by Tam Suhaimi that first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Organizers confirmed the selection on September 28, 2026, positioning the film as the centerpiece of a milestone year for the Estonian festival, which has grown from a modest regional showcase into one of Northern Europe’s most watched industry gatherings.
The choice of “Ulya” as the opening night film underscores the festival’s long-standing commitment to Asian cinema and to stories that blend social observation with intimate character study. The film follows its title character across two continents, tracing a transformation that is as much psychological as it is physical.
A Story of Reinvention and Its Hidden Costs
At its core, “Ulya” is the story of a woman who was once overweight and endured relentless bullying. Among her tormentors were Lin, the daughter of cosmetics entrepreneur Umi Yana, and Dini, the older brother of her closest friend, Hamdan. After her father’s death, Ulya leaves Malaysia to continue her studies in the United States. It is there that her life takes a dramatic turn: she loses weight successfully and reinvents herself as a lifestyle and health influencer, building a following of 80,000 people around the world.
That success, however, conceals a deeper struggle. Ulya’s followers admire her discipline and glow, unaware that she suffers from bulimia and panic attacks she had believed were under control. The film examines the gap between the curated self and the private reality, a tension that has become increasingly familiar in the age of social media.
After earning her bachelor’s degree, Ulya has the chance to pursue graduate studies. Instead, she is compelled to return to Malaysia to help her mother sell the family home. The return is reluctant. Ulya remembers her mother giving little attention to her and her younger sister, Najwa, and the prospect of going back reopens old wounds even as it forces her to confront the life she left behind.
Director Tam Suhaimi assembles a cast that includes Shaza Bae, Hun Haqeem, Afiq Muiz, Fara Nadiah, Che Kem, Catriona Brian Ross, Nor Albaniah and Syazlin Zainal. The film’s original language is English, and its runtime and genre classification were not included in the festival’s announcement materials. “Ulya” carries a release date of January 1, 2022, and holds a TMDb rating of 0 out of 10, reflecting limited audience scoring rather than critical reception.
A Festival at a Crossroads
For Tallinn Black Nights, now entering its fourth decade, the opening slot is more than a ceremonial gesture. The festival has increasingly used its opening night to signal its curatorial identity, favoring films that travel between cultures and resist easy categorization. “Ulya” fits that mold: a Malaysian story shot partly in the United States, told in English, and anchored by a female protagonist whose external success masks internal turmoil.
The anniversary edition arrives at a moment when festivals across Europe are recalibrating their identities. Streaming platforms have reshaped distribution, while economic pressures have forced smaller events to justify their place on the calendar. Tallinn’s decision to open with a film that premiered at Cannes suggests a strategy of borrowing prestige while maintaining a distinctly independent sensibility.
Festival programmers have not yet announced the full slate, but the opening selection offers an early indication of the thematic territory the 30th edition intends to cover: migration, mental health, family obligation and the performance of identity. That “Ulya” touches on all four within a single narrative makes it an apt curtain-raiser for a festival that has often championed first- and second-time filmmakers alongside established names.
What Comes Next
“Ulya” will screen on opening night, with additional showings expected during the festival’s run. The film’s Cannes premiere earlier this year drew attention for its unflinching portrayal of eating disorders and panic attacks, subjects that remain underrepresented in Southeast Asian cinema. Its arrival in Tallinn extends that conversation to a Nordic audience that has shown growing appetite for Asian independent film.
Whether the 30th edition will produce another breakout discovery remains to be seen. But by selecting “Ulya” to open the proceedings, Tallinn Black Nights signals that its anniversary will be defined less by nostalgia than by a continued investment in stories that cross borders - and in heroines who refuse to be reduced to their transformations.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
