A new series coming to OUTtv not only highlights how love conquers all, it also features three Windsor-area residents.
The series called FAK YAASS, pronounced "feh-kes", which is a Greek dish, will debut June 17 at 9:30 p.m.
The "dramedy" is about a gay man living in Toronto who returns to his hometown of Tecumseh to care for his aging and homophobic grandfather.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V83Y35YrWmU
Co-writer Vasilios "Billy" Fillippakis also plays the lead, Nico, and the story is family-based and loosely autobiographical.
"My character, the millennial learning from an older generation, but it definitely is a story of the clash of two sides meeting in the middle," he said. "We really show that love is love no matter what and that all you need is some patience and the willingness to be open."
(Photo of the character Nico courtesy of Vasilios Fillippakis)
Fillippakis wrote the show with fellow Windsor-area resident Anthony Filangeri, while Kayla Dunbar of Windsor sings the theme song. The show also references local spots including LaCasse Park.
OUTtv has about 4-million subscribers worldwide, and the two-episode miniseries will air in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
"Which is amazing, and now kinda we're hoping to use this as a platform to gain some more global recognition and hopefully get a full season order on a global network," said Fillippakis explaining the long-term plan for FAK YAASS.
While Fillippakis believes the representation of the LGBTQ community in media has improved over the years, he thinks there is still work to do.
"Now when I watch TV there is someone I can identify with in mostly every TV show that I watch," he said. "But there still hasn't been that leading character. I think there's still a lot more room for the entertainment industry to explore."