Co-thriving begins with us.
Our short film, Bears in Hot Tubs, follows Maddie Bear and her kin as they move through suburban Los Angeles, quietly, confidently, and on their own terms. Through intimate camera work and patient observation, the film invites audiences to see black bears as sentient, self-determined neighbors with stories of their own.
Festival submissions are our way of bringing Maddie’s story into wider conversations about coexistence with urban wildlife and the changing landscapes we all share. Festivals also help us reach the people who shape cultural narratives, filmmakers, educators, activists, and everyday community members who may never have imagined a different relationship with the wildlife around them.
Why We’re Fundraising for Festival Submissions
Submitting to festivals is essential and surprisingly expensive. Entry fees typically range from $25 to over $100, and each new submission opens a door to audiences who might never otherwise encounter Maddie’s story.
Your support directly funds these submissions, helping the film travel to festivals around the world and into conversations where Maddie’s presence can make a difference. Every contribution helps the film go farther, reach more people, and reshape how we think about living alongside wildlife.
Why This Story Matters
At its heart, Bears in Hot Tubs is a story about relationship. It asks us to slow down, to pay attention, and to imagine new futures with the more-than-human beings who share our neighborhoods.
By witnessing Maddie’s world, we learn that coexistence is not passive; it’s a practice. A daily choice made in backyards, trail systems, trash bins, and policy rooms. A shift from fear to understanding, from conflict to connection, from coexistence to co-thriving.
This film also shows the responsibility we hold when our lives intersect with the lives of urban wildlife. Honoring them means choosing a future where stories like Maddie’s can continue.
Co-thriving begins when we recognize the agency, presence, and lives of the animals who walk beside us. It begins when we let their stories shape our own.
How You Can Help
- Sponsor a festival submission and help bring Bears in Hot Tubs to your community!
When you donate, you’re welcome to suggest or recommend a festival, and we’ll do our best to submit. You can also make a general contribution and we’ll put your support where it has the most impact, matching funds whenever we can to reach the widest audiences. - Share this page with friends who care about wildlife, storytelling, or community action.
- Order merch from our official store!
Together, we can help Maddie Bear reach the screens and hearts where her story is needed most.
2026 Film Festival Sponsors
Kirstyn Kubicki, Claire Musser, Beverley Cox, Marc Musser, Kelly Kubicki
