Spencer Pride
documentary-in-progress, premiering Fall 2025
"I never expected to see this in a small Indiana town!"
Welcome to the smallest town in America with a dedicated LGBT+ Pride Center, where volunteers and allies have come together to build a thriving community center for everyone — and along the way, helping to revitalize the town. This didn't happen overnight. Was there pushback? Of course. How did Spencer Pride manage to win over so many hearts and minds in this conservative community? That's to be revealed in the final film! (Hint: it's replicable, and that's the point — other communities can do this too.) At a time when the country seems more divided than ever, this is a hopeful story from the heartland.
Why this film?
My wife and I "discovered" Spencer in 2019 after moving from NYC to Bloomington, IN. One Sunday we took a drive to the nearby quaint little town of Spencer. To my surprise, I saw a big rainbow flag hovering over the Courthouse square. Here, in a rural Indiana town? I went inside, was greeted warmly, and began to learn their story. As my late mentor/executor producer Peter Gould told me: "If you could tell a story about ordinary Americans working together to make their town better, do it. We need these kind of stories." - Mitch Teplitsky, director
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"With the current political and societal environment, we need celebratory stories like this to sustain and recharge more than ever."
- Jim Fielding, Executive Coach & Author, All Pride, No Ego "People often underestimate small and rural communities, and they underestimate their own ability to make profound change. If small-town Spencer can do it, so can you.”
- Jonathan Abrash, President, Spencer Pride "This is such a timely and important story, given the polarized world we live in. It will debunk a lot of stereotypes about rural communties."
- Jeffrey Wolin, photographer / educator, Chicago, IL |
"This is a very important project. It shows we’re not all divided — that there’s a way forward to work together. Spencer Pride is showing us how. It’s rare to see stories like this."
- Abi Doukhan, philosophy professor, Queens College "This makes me feel hopeful that there are actually good people out there in the world, in towns big or small, doing good for their communities."
- Meg Wenning, digital strategist "At a time when culture wars dominate the news, Spencer Pride is fostering unity in one of the nation’s most conservative states."
- Dropbox Customer Stories, Chicago, IL |
Distribution & Impact:
Completing the film is just the beginning. We plan a year-long screening/impact campaign to bring this film to audiences nationwide with hosted discussions and local partnerships. Thousands of people are already following this project. And in the wake of the 2024 election, interest has surged.
Completing the film is just the beginning. We plan a year-long screening/impact campaign to bring this film to audiences nationwide with hosted discussions and local partnerships. Thousands of people are already following this project. And in the wake of the 2024 election, interest has surged.
- Theatrical premiere (Fall 2025): IU Cinema in Bloomington, IN, and the the historic Tivoli Theatre in Spencer
- Film festivals (focus: documentaries, rural regions, and LGBTQ+ festivals)
- Universities and high schools
- Community-based events at Pride Centers, churches, and other community spaces
- Broadcast on Public Television
- Digital release on Hoodox and other streaming platforms
- Study guides for teachers and community partners
- Permanent exhibit at the Spencer Pride CommUnity Center
Filmmakers
Mitch Teplitsky (Director-Producer) is a documentary director/producer, Fulbright Specialist, and marketing pro who tells stories that bridge cultures from the Andes to Indiana. His films have screened on PBS and at film festivals, universities and community venues worldwide, Mitch also consults with other filmmakers on how to market their work and make an impact. He was the first marketing director for Morgenstern’s Books in Bloomington and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. He lived in New York City most of his life before making films in Peru, where he met his wife Doris, a Quechua language and culture educator. They moved to Bloomington in 2017.
Brittany Alsot (Editor) is a Chicago-based editor, script supervisor, and producer/director of projects that focus on underrepresented communities. She is completing a feature documentary, Finding Your Laughter, about a woman using improv comedy to care for her father who has Alzheimer’s. Brittany and Mitch have known each other for a few years through the documentary film community, and and excited to be collaborating for the first time.
Mitch Teplitsky (Director-Producer) is a documentary director/producer, Fulbright Specialist, and marketing pro who tells stories that bridge cultures from the Andes to Indiana. His films have screened on PBS and at film festivals, universities and community venues worldwide, Mitch also consults with other filmmakers on how to market their work and make an impact. He was the first marketing director for Morgenstern’s Books in Bloomington and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. He lived in New York City most of his life before making films in Peru, where he met his wife Doris, a Quechua language and culture educator. They moved to Bloomington in 2017.
Brittany Alsot (Editor) is a Chicago-based editor, script supervisor, and producer/director of projects that focus on underrepresented communities. She is completing a feature documentary, Finding Your Laughter, about a woman using improv comedy to care for her father who has Alzheimer’s. Brittany and Mitch have known each other for a few years through the documentary film community, and and excited to be collaborating for the first time.
- Charles Pearce (Creative director, camera, trailer editor) is a content producer from Bloomington, IN
- Lessie Jo Frazier (Co-producer) is professor of American Studies & Gender Studies at IU
- G Angel (Assistant Editor & Archival Researcher) is a doctoral student in Gender Studies at IU.
- Additional camera: Gabriel Lantz • Henry Malone • Steve Sobiech • Lex Barrett • Arianne Kelley • Casey Shivel
- Executive Producers: Samantha Eads, Michael Schaefer, Peter Gould
- Fiscal Sponsor: Center for Independent Documentary
Partnerships (partial list)
- Center for Independent Documentary
- Hoodox.tv (Netflix for indiana documentaries)
- Indiana Public Media
- IU Center for Rural Engagement
- IU Dept of Gender Studies
- IU Media School
- IU School of Public Health
- IU College of Arts and Sciences, Office of Diversity and Inclusion
- Kinsey Institute at Indiana University
- Morgenstern Books
- Owen County Chamber of Commerce
- Owen County Historical Society
- Spencer Pride CommUnity Center
Get involved!
Consider a donation. This is a community-driven project, funded mainly by individual donors (130 and counting). We still need funds for editing and distribution. Donations are tax-deductible via the Center for Independent Documentary.
Consider a donation. This is a community-driven project, funded mainly by individual donors (130 and counting). We still need funds for editing and distribution. Donations are tax-deductible via the Center for Independent Documentary.
Subscribe to the newsletter! I share updates on this project. Nearly 3,800 people are on the list. We are building a nation-wide community around this story.
Thank you:
Indiana University
Indiana University
- College of Arts & Sciences, Office of Diversity & Inclusion
- Department of Gender Studies, Peg Brand Chair
- OVPDEI Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Walter Center for Career Achievement'
- Michael Schaefer & Jeffrey A. Brinkmann
- Sam Eads
- Peter Gould
- Irene Cohn
- Scott Reef & Girish Vitalpur
- Jeff Richardson & Jim Mahady
- Mindy Cunningham
- Nancy D Thompson
- Judith Epp
- James Parrish