# 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.
The company has produced the comedy documentary, Winnebago Man, (directed by Ben Steinbauer), Chop & Steele (directed by Steinbauer and co-directed by Berndt Mader), Yeti's Soul of a City (directed by Berndt Mader), and the "C'Mon Ted!" political campaign ad (directed by Richard Linklater)
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).
The Bear has created commercials for clients such as Budweiser, Capital One, RAM, Fritos, Whole Foods, Alfa Romeo, Crate & Barrel, Dodge, Indeed, Yeti, and more.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Director | Company |
| 2009 | Winnebago Man | Ben Steinbauer | Kino Lorber |
| 2012 | Brute Force | Ben Steinbauer | The Bear |
| 2013 | Prince Avalanche | David Gordon Green | Magnolia |
| 2013 | Documentary Subjects Wanted with Rory Scovel - Funny or Die | Ben Steinbauer | No Distributor |
| 2014 | Bad Guy #2 | Chris McInroy | No Distributor |
| 2014 | Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater | Gabe Klinger | Cinema |
| 2015 | Booger Red | Berndt Mader | Dark Star Pictures |
| 2015 | Calls To Okies: The Park Grubbs Story | Ben Steinbauer Bradley Beesley | NA |
| 2016 | Death Metal | Chris McInroy | The Bear |
| 2016 | The Superlative Light 360 VR | Ben Steinbauer | The Bear |
| 2016 | The Superlative Light | Ben Steinbauer | The Bear |
| 2016 | Slow To Show | Ben Steinbauer | The Bear |
| 2017 | Heroes From the Storm | Ben Steinbauer | The Bear |
| 2019 | Siren Song | Ben Steinbauer Berndt Mader | No Distributor |
| 2022 | Chop & Steele | Ben Steinbauer Berndt Mader | Drafthouse Films |

### 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)