A documentary about queer nightlife, drag culture and trans joy in small-town America.
Amish Country Queer
Queer Joy Belongs Everywhere
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Queer Joy Belongs Everywhere ⋆｡°✩
Lancaster, Pennsylvania: known for its rolling hills, fluffy clouds, and deeply conservative values. But there's more than what's on the tourist guides—if you know where to look.
Meet Brady Pappas, a celebrated artist documenting the local drag and queer scenes, while navigating their own transformation - embracing their identity and stepping into the world of drag. Amish Country Queer follows Brady’s journey as they come out to their family in a politically charged environment, offering a raw, powerful look at the resilience of a community that refuses to be erased, and a celebration of queer joy where you’d least expect it.
Want to stay in the know? Follow us on Instagram @AmishCountryQueer
IN DEVELOPMENT
Amish Country Queer has wrapped production on the feature-length film and officially began editing.
Bringing this story to life at a moment when trans voices need space, care, and visibility more than ever has reaffirmed why this project matters. Queer and trans people are being pushed further into the margins, especially in rural America. Stories like Amish Country Queer can be lifelines for the kids growing up in Lancaster, and small towns everywhere. They need to know they’re not alone.
Missed the short film during its festival run? You can still watch it through a private viewing link by making a donation!
WHERE WE ARE & WHERE WE’RE HEADED
What started as a hopeful idea grew into something far bigger than we imagined, thanks entirely to the support of our community.
In 2025, the ACQ short film screened at five film festivals and received three Best Documentary awards. We also met and surpassed our Seed&Spark crowdfunding goal, proving just how deeply this story resonated with out community. We were honored to partner with amazing Community Sponsors including Camp OUT Poconos, cineSPEAK, Gracie’s House, Pocono Pride Coalition, and Hypnotic Pole Fitness. Beyond that, our online community has reached nearly 1,500 followers on Instagram.
While production is wrapped, costs are still rolling in as we move through post-production and community events. Donations and new Community Sponsors are still very welcome, and every contribution helps us sustain this project and everything that follows!
Key Crew:
Colleen C Brady (Director) is recognized for their award-winning documentary filmmaking and evocative photography, delving into themes of transformation and community identity. Their first feature documentary, Firebird: Built to Burn (2023), has been awarded Best Director from Poppy Jasper International Film Festival, Atlanta Docufest and Northeast Pennsylvania Film Festival, and is now on Prime Video and AppleTV. Outside of documentaries, Brady is a commercial editor and adjunct professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Mariam Bakashvili (Producer) is a producer and filmmaker known for her award-winning short film Woman With Violin, which explores immigrant and women’s issues. She moved to the U.S. in 2010 and studied filmmaking at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Mariam is passionate about storytelling that highlights LGBTQ+ and immigrant experiences. Outside of filmmaking, she enjoys tennis and spending time with her cat, Honey.
Nicholas Richter (Director of Photography) is an award-winning filmmaker and cinematographer whose work has been featured in festivals like TriBeCa and HBO’s Catalyst. His projects have streamed on Netflix, ESPN, and PBS. With a background in documentary filmmaking and a cinematic style, Nicholas is dedicated to telling meaningful stories and capturing stunning imagery.
Featured Drag Artists & Organizations Include:
Nevaeha Le'Vixenn- IG: @Nevaehalvxn
Charlize Angelz - IG: @Candidlyaustin
Nes - IG: @Nes.phl
Sible Stackhouse - IG: @Definitely_Sible
Tragedy Ann Stackhouse - IG: @Tragedystackhouse
High Fever - IG: @hi_ghfever
DreamWrights Center - IG: @dreamwrightstheatre
York County History Center - IG: @YorkHistory
West Art - IG: @WestArtLanc
On The News
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On The News •
'Amish Country Queer' documentary tells stories of LGBTQ+ joy, being queer in Lancaster
Portraits - Colleen Brady: Capturing Queer Joy
'Amish Country Queer' finds LGBTQ+ community in unexpected places
Amish Country Queer Community Sponsors
LGBTQ+ camping resort in the Pocono Mountains, PA.
Get ready for an unforgettable adventure of fun, friends and Pride in the Pocono Mountains!
cineSPEAK is a Philadelphia-based arthouse cinema and journal that cultivates experiences and opportunities for filmmakers and moviegoers, celebrating and strengthening local community and global movements for collective liberation.
Pocono Pride Festival is a collective to champion inclusion and wellness for the LGBTQ+ community and allies in our areas. It’s all about bringing people together, celebrating love, and, of course, throwing an awesome party.
Safe Spaces for LGBTQ+ youth, Camps, grants and artistic expression. At Gracie’s House we believe that every young person deserves a safe space where they can be their authentic self.
Empowering ALL through movement! Step into our high-energy haven where our pole workouts are a wild adventure and every session is a celebration of fitness!
