New Hope is constantly lauded for being a Bucks County relic, but this past weekend, a film festival in the iconic town shed light on New Hope’s LGBTQ community, writes Jacob Anthony Amaro for Mosaic.  

On Nov. 4, Queer Cuts: New Hope showcased five documentaries at the Bucks County Playhouse about the town’s LGBTQ history.  

But Saturday’s festival was only the beginning. Queer Cuts is just the first in a series of events to be hosted by The Creative Hope Initiative, an incubator that gives grants to LGBTQ filmmakers, writes Amaro.  

One of the documentaries, “Don’t Cry For Me All You Drag Queens,” tells the story of the New Hope LGBTQ community pillar, Joseph “Josie” Cavallucci, otherwise known as Mother Cavallucci, a drag queen who performed in the fifties even when ‘cross-dressing’ was still considered a crime.  

Philly-based filmmaker and director/producer of the documentary Kristal Sotomayor, says that showcasing Cavallucci’s life is essential in the present day.  

“It’s important to understand the struggles she faced to make things better for us, said Sotomayor.  

All five documentaries are available on the Advocate Channel’s app which is found on multiple Apple, Google Play, Fire TV, and Roku.  

Read about how Sotomayor worked with the New Hope LGBTQ community to create the film, visit Mosaic.  

New Hope, PA LGBTQ Weekend Road Trip | Bucks County