Asians & Friends Chicago’s Next Event:
In a continuing effort to showcase the stories of gay, Asian men, the producers of the webisode, “Panda: Tale of a Gay Asian Bear” will debut its sequel, “Panda II: Rise of a Gay Asian Bear” at a premiere party in downtown Chicago, where cast members and guests will mingle and see how the story concludes.
The GAM-TV Premiere Party for Panda II will be held on Sat., May 10, at 7 p.m., at Downtown Bar, 440 N. State Street in Chicago. $5 donation to go to the AIDS-awareness charity, School Street Arts Movement.
In the original Panda webisode, which debuted on gamTVusa.com in March 2013, the main character, Tim, was feeling the gravity of his broken relationship. After meeting friends in a leather “bear” bar, this gay man of Asian descent discovered that gay, Asian bears were referred to as “Pandas.”
The story follows Tim’s effort to get out of his dating funk, leading him to question why he chooses to date only white men. The original Panda webisode ended with more than one question mark. To resolve matters, Panda II picks up where Panda I left off.
In the sequel, Tim continues to deal with his break-up, exploring the seedier side of the city’s leather bar scene. Will he go down in flames or rise like the Phoenix? Either way, he has a great team of friends who act as a safety net. Set to a driving rock soundtrack by Chicago musician Jonathan Fell, the story, written and directed by Chicago artist Angel Abcede, balances the edgy underground lifestyle of urban gay bears with the cuddly humanity of anyone bumping along the road to love and acceptance. For more information on GAM-TV, visit www.gamTVusa.com.
