diff --git a/tweepy/streaming.py b/tweepy/streaming.py
index 9d56e76eb..b37e920b4 100644
--- a/tweepy/streaming.py
+++ b/tweepy/streaming.py
@@ -251,17 +251,19 @@ def sample(self, count=None, async=False):
             self.url += '&count=%s' % count
         self._start(async)
 
-    def filter(self, follow=None, track=None, async=False, locations=None, 
-        count = None, stall_warnings=False, languages=None):
+    def filter(self, follow=None, track=None, async=False, locations=None,
+               count=None, stall_warnings=False, languages=None, encoding='utf8'):
         self.parameters = {}
         self.headers['Content-type'] = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
         if self.running:
             raise TweepError('Stream object already connected!')
         self.url = '/%s/statuses/filter.json?delimited=length' % STREAM_VERSION
         if follow:
-            self.parameters['follow'] = ','.join(map(str, follow))
+            encoded_follow = [s.encode(encoding) for s in follow]
+            self.parameters['follow'] = ','.join(encoded_follow)
         if track:
-            self.parameters['track'] = ','.join(map(str, track))
+            encoded_track = [s.encode(encoding) for s in track]
+            self.parameters['track'] = ','.join(encoded_track)
         if locations and len(locations) > 0:
             assert len(locations) % 4 == 0
             self.parameters['locations'] = ','.join(['%.2f' % l for l in locations])
@@ -273,6 +275,10 @@ def filter(self, follow=None, track=None, async=False, locations=None,
             self.parameters['language'] = ','.join(map(str, languages))
         self.body = urlencode_noplus(self.parameters)
         self.parameters['delimited'] = 'length'
+
+        print self.parameters
+        print self.url
+        print self.body
         self._start(async)
 
     def disconnect(self):