Favorite celebs of the most popular Ukrainian entertainment shows as well as unexpected celeb cameos in The Big Picnic family comedy, the first joint theatrical project of film and media industry leaders FILM.UA and Ukraina TV channel.
The debut of artists in big cinema is the first but not the only surprise from the movie authors. So which actor tandems will astonish the audience?
The comedy plot unfolds around two totally different families: the Dragomanov working in culture and the Nalyvaychenko who are local businessmen. They will meet at the same clearing for barbecue each family considers “their own”. What will come out of it?
The image of the head of Nalyvaychenko family will be portrayed onscreen by Yuriy Tkach, an artist and a showman, participant of Evening Neighborhood and the star of sitcom Once Near Poltava. His “wife” on the set will be Iryna Hatun, an actress of improvisational theatre and one of participants in Women’s Neighborhood. Local businessman Tolya and his wife Raya will challenge the Dragomanov family who also covet an ideal clearing for barbecue.
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“Dream and your dreams will come true... I have wanted a lead role in a feature film for a while now, so when I got this proposal, I did not take too much time to decide. I read the script and really liked it; plus, one of its authors is my friend Garik Bircha. And there is a cool team together with me at the set; each of them is a professional and has become renowned in Ukraine. So no doubt, the viewers will observe the characters onscreen with great interest,” said Yuriy Tkach, actor and showman playing Tolya in The Big Picnic.
Tanya Dragomanova, a reserved art history teacher, will be played by Olena Kravets, participant of Evening Neighborhood and ex-leader of Women’s Neighborhood. The actress’s partner on the set is Andriy Isayenko, merited artist of Ukraine, theatre actor and a star of real cinema hits like The Rising Hawk and Cyborgs. The Dragomanov family surely has some aces up their sleeves. Which ones? We’ll find out soon enough.
“I was invited to play in the movie, and I decided to say yes to this adventure as this is my first lead role in a feature film. Making a film is radically different from making a TV project: different genres, different people, different contexts and generally a different state for me as an actress. However, I really like the team I work with: they are Yuriy Tkach and Ira Hatun we have shared the stage with, and Andriy Isayenko and Oleg Zborovsky I met on the set,” says Olena Kravets, actress playing the role of Tanya in The Big Picnic.
Besides, the audience will see Pozitiv (Oleksiy Zavgorodniy), an artist in MOZGI band. Now the musician will portray onscreen an official’s assistant, Hena the driver, which will be his first big film role.
"I have already participated in Crazy Wedding but as the role was episodic, I did not manage to reveal my acting potential. That is why I wanted to try something more and here... I got an unexpected letter fromFILM.UA with a proposal to try myself out in a new role. I immediately read the script of The Grand Stroll and understood that the role is cool and the comedy is really funny. I am sure that everyone who sees it in the cinema will have the same opinion", says Pozitiv (Oleksiy Zavgorodniy), musician playing the role of Hena in The Big Picnic.
Mykhaylo Zhonin, a star of Dog and Doctor on Call series, has also joined the actors’ team. He is going to play an avid official Khomyak (Hamster) who won’t stop before anything on his chase for riches.
For the first time stars of Shakhtar football club will appear onscreen, in particular Yevhen Konoplyanka and Andriy Pyatov, who couldn’t part from the ball even during filming. Another unexpected appearance prepared for the audience by authors will be the incredible VERKA SERDUCHKA with Mom. We’ll tell you very soon about their special role in the film.
#skewersup - The Big Picnicwill be the first theatrical feature co-produced by the biggest players of Ukrainian TV and film industries, FILM.UA Group and Ukraina TV channel.
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The comedy plot unfolds around two totally different families: the Dragomanov working in culture and the Nalyvaychenko who are local businessmen. On a spring weekend they decide to go for a traditional open-air barbecue and by virtue of destiny arrive at the same clearing each family considers “theirs”. A quarrel starts between them, quickly transforming into a grotesque war for a barbecue spot. Unexpectedly, a third claimant for the territory arrives; this is a bribetaker on the run who hid his money in this same clearing and takes the youngest children from both families hostage, demanding to give back the money that disappeared from the hideout.
Tricks, frameups and oppositions, adventures, unexpected guests and crazy money, different views not only on barbecue marinade recipes but also on the “right ways to live”. This is a story telling us that no matter how different we are and how much we quarrel, we are always a united powerful force in the face of a common threat.
You can follow project news on its official pages on Facebook and Instagram.
FYI
Title: The Big Picnic
The first joint project of industry leaders, Ukraina TV channel and FILM.UA Group
Slogan: Skewers up!
Release date: spring 2022
Genre: comedy
Timing: 90 mins
Production: FILM.UA Production
Distributors: Kinomania and FILM.UA Distribution
Director: Oleg Zborovsky
Screenwriters: Artur Lerman, Vyacheslav Ostrovtsev, Garik Bircha
Producers: Iryna Kostyuk, Viktoria Korogod, Nadia Korotushka, Natalya Strybuk
Cast: Yuriy Tkach (Tolya Nalyvaychenko), Olena Kravets (Tetyana Dragomanova), Andriy Isayenko (Yevhen Dragomanov), Iryna Hatun (Raya Nalyvaychenko), Mykhaylo Zhonin (Stepan Khomyak), Oleksiy Zavgorodniy/Pozitiv (Hena), Illya Paladin (Yaroslav Dragomanov), Margo Krupina-Binkovska (Liza Dragomanova), Veronika Lukyanenko (Maryana Nalyvaychenko), Alex Berezovsky (Denyska Nalyvaychenko), Valeriy Shvets (Valeryanych), Vladyslav Pysarenko (Hrysha).
