The Bear (company)

The Bear is an American production company and creative studio based in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2007 by directors Ben Steinbauer and Berndt Mader and as of 2022, its executive producer is Elizabeth Spiva.

History
After meeting at The University of Texas at Austin, Ben Steinbauer and Berndt Mader formed The Bear in 2007.

In 2011, Steinbauer and Mader were selected to direct a segment of the feature film, Slacker 2011, a remake of Richard Linklater's Slacker (1990) by 24 Austin-based filmmakers. The firm produced 5 Time Champion (2011), starring Betty Buckley, Jon Gries, and Dana Wheeler-Nicholson. The film was written and directed by Mader and won the Target Filmmaker Award at the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival.

The firm co-produced the feature film Prince Avalanche (2013) directed by David Gordon Green, starring Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch. Also produced in 2013 was Double Play (2013) directed by Gabe Klinger, about the relationship between Richard Linklater and experimental filmmaker, James Benning.

In 2015, the firm produced Booger Red (2015) directed by Mader, starring Ornur Turkel and Marija Karan. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the 2016 Dallas International Film Festival.

The firm has produced short films including Brute Force (2012); Bad Guy #2 (2014); Calls To Okies: The Park Grubbs Story (2015); The Superlative Light (2016); Death Metal (2016); Slow To Show (2016), directed by Steinbauer, which was acquired by The New York Times Op-Docs; and Heroes From the Storm (2017).

Film

 * Chop & Steele (2022) - directed by Ben Steinbauer & co-directed by Berndt Mader
 * Siren Song (2019) - directed by Ben Steinbauer & Berndt Mader
 * Heroes From the Storm (2017) - directed by Ben Steinbauer
 * Slow To Show (2016) - directed by Ben Steinbauer
 * The Superlative Light (2016) - directed by Ben Steinbauer
 * The Superlative Light 360 VR (2016) - directed by Ben Steinbauer
 * Death Metal (2016) - directed by Chris McInroy
 * Calls To Okies: The Park Grubbs Story (2015) - directed by Ben Steinbauer & Bradley Beesley
 * Booger Red (2015) - directed by Berndt Mader
 * Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater (2014) - directed by Gabe Klinger
 * Bad Guy #2 (2014) - directed by Chris McInroy
 * Documentary Subjects Wanted with Rory Scovel - Funny or Die (2013) - directed by Ben Steinbauer
 * Prince Avalanche (2013) - directed by David Gordon Green
 * Brute Force (2012) - directed by Ben Steinbauer
 * Slacker 2011 (2011) - scenes directed by Ben Steinbauer and Berndt Mader
 * 5 Time Champion (2011) - directed by Berndt Mader
 * Winnebago Man (2009) - directed by Ben Steinbauer

Music video

 * Up Around The Sun “Up Around the Sun” (2018)
 * Rainbows Are Free “Sonic Demon” (2017)
 * The Mrs “I’m Enough” (2015)
 * Spanish Gold “Out On the Street” (2014)
 * Heartless Bastards “Parted Ways” (2012)