Radical Realism and Queer Midlife: The World of Only Bears
We recently stumbled across a very cool crowdfunding campaign for a short film called Only Bears, which according to the creators:
“came from a deeply familiar place: the quiet, absurd, and sometimes heartbreaking effort it takes to stay connected inside a long-term relationship, especially when the world keeps interrupting.
So many love stories focus on the chase, the coming out, or the first “yes.” I wanted to tell a story about what happens after. About the middle. About two people who have already chosen each other and are still figuring out how to sync up in their bodies, their communication, and their expectations while navigating careers, aging, money, and intimacy in a city that rarely slows down.”
Only Bears, a new queer romantic comedy short conceived as a proof of concept for a larger episodic romantic dramedy, and recently launched a Seed&Spark crowdfunding campaign following the project’s approval for fiscal sponsorship through Film Independent.
The short stars real-life married actors Adam Kern (Inheritance, One Dollar, I See You) and Jeff Willey as fictionalized versions of themselves, two mid-40s bears attempting to carve out one intentional day of reconnection in Los Angeles, only to have it repeatedly derailed by traffic, screenings, strangers, and the general chaos of queer social life. Written and produced by Kern, Only Bears explores midlife queer partnership, identity, and intimacy with humor and heart. A graduate of the Cornish School of the Arts, Willey previously appeared in director Aaron Jin’s short Gay Jesus.
Over the course of one wildly unpredictable day, two married bears attempt to rekindle their intimacy—but between traffic, screenings, queer social chaos, and a stranger handing them a gently used pizza, life keeps acting like the pushy “third” in their relationship.
The project will be directed, shot, and edited by David Haverty of Odd Dog Pictures. The screenplay blends grounded realism with heightened fantasy elements—mirroring the way memory, anxiety, and desire interrupt everyday life—which Haverty translates visually through a fluid shift between naturalistic scenes and playful fantasy sequences.
The ensemble cast includes Santana Dempsey (Law & Order: SVU, Kenan, Scandal, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), Ian Verdun (Siren, The Creator, Outlands, The Rookie), Teri Gamble (Mrs. Davis, Modern Family, Superstore), and Cassandra Capocci (The Goldbergs, Freakier Friday). The original score is composed by singer-songwriter Tom Goss (Bear Soup, Nerdy Bear, Gay Stuff), who also appears in a cameo.
Kern’s producing work spans short film, theatre, and immersive storytelling, including the Harvard/American Repertory Theatre/Moscow Art Theatre–affiliated Pilot Season Survival Guide, projects with Cleveland Play House and The 5th Avenue Theatre, and his role as a partner and former co-owner of Shadow of the Run, an immersive theatre company based in Cleveland. He is currently developing a slate of film projects alongside a large-scale immersive theatrical adaptation, An Awfully Big Adventure: A Wake in Neverland.
Jeff Willey is an actor and creative collaborator based in Los Angeles. A Denver native, he relocated to Seattle in 2000 to study theatre and remained there for twenty-four years, becoming deeply rooted in the city’s arts and queer community.
While training as an actor, Jeff worked for over two decades as a bartender, an experience that profoundly shaped his observational skills, humor, and connection to character-driven storytelling. He recently relocated to Los Angeles with his husband, Adam Kern, where he is reigniting his focus on acting and filmmaking.
Recent credits include work for Xbox, The 5th Avenue Theatre, and the short film Gay Jesus. Only Bears marks Jeff’s first leading film role and the beginning of a new chapter in his creative life as he helps build the world of the project alongside Kern.
To Support this amazing crowd funder, head here:
