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Logline

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 used pizza, life keeps acting like the pushy “third” in their relationship.

Synopsis

Only Bears follows Jeff and Adam, a married gay couple in their 40s, as they attempt to have one simple day of re-connection in Los Angeles. What begins as a planned “day of intimacy” quickly unravels into a series of comedic interruptions, emotional misfires, and unexpected detours—forcing them to confront the deeper communication gaps in their relationship. Blending grounded realism with playful fantasy elements, the film explores queer midlife love with humor, tenderness, and authenticity. Ultimately, Only Bears is a celebration of imperfect partnership and the everyday effort it takes to stay close in a world full of distractions.

Meet the Filmmakers

ADAM KERN — Producer / Writer
MFA Acting – The American Repertory Theatre / Moscow Art Theatre at Harvard. TS Eliot Fellowship – Old Vic, in London.

Producing credits include work for The 5th Avenue Theatre Gala and Cleveland Play House, and The Water Dream, starring Anthony Rapp and J. Robert Spencer, and Liz Femi’s 2014 NAACP Theatre Award nominated Take Me To The Poorhouse. He has produced and staged over twenty readings, half a dozen workshops, four benefits and five full productions.

Adam has performed internationally at the Moscow Art Theatre, and at the Old Vic through the TS Eliot Fellowship. On Camera work includes I SEE YOU, working opposite Helen Hunt, CBS series ONE DOLLAR, and the feature film INHERITANCE. www.adam-kern.com

JEFF WILLEY — Co-Creator
BFA Theatre – Cornish College of the Arts.

A Denver native, Jeff moved to Seattle in 2000 to study Theatre, and stayed there for twenty four years! While he studied acting, he has worked as a bartender for the past twenty years. Having recently relocated to LA with Adam, Jeff is reigniting his passion for acting and film making, and is excited for the opportunity to build the Only Bears world.

Recent acting credits include work for XBox, The 5th Avenue Theatre, and the short film GAY JESUS. Jeff is repped by BAM Management and the Osbrink Agency.

Billy Clift — Director
Billy Clift is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker whose work explores identity, history, and the emotional undercurrents of queer life with both intimacy and cinematic flair. Moving fluidly between documentary and narrative storytelling, Clift has built a body of work that is as socially conscious as it is visually distinctive.

He earned critical recognition for A Long Road to Freedom: The Advocate Celebrates 50 Years, a sweeping documentary chronicling the evolution of LGBTQ+ rights in America. His storytelling often centers on voices that have been overlooked or marginalized, bringing them into focus with compassion and urgency. Earlier projects like The Pure Eccentrics and The Jose Sarria Story reflect his fascination with subcultures, chosen family, and the preservation of queer history.

Clift’s narrative work is equally bold. In films like Jacked, he examines the darker edges of survival and self-discovery in Los Angeles, while No Goodbyes confronts the haunting realities of queer persecution during the Holocaust. His series Not So Straight in Silver Lake showcases his ability to blend humor, community, and character-driven storytelling within a contemporary queer landscape. In October 2025, Clift released the feature film Until the Silence, his first sci fi, further expanding his narrative voice and continuing his exploration of complex emotional and psychological landscapes within queer storytelling.

Currently, Clift is developing new projects Morris Kight: a Call to Justice, and Pretty Talk. loosely based on Rock Hudson And Doris Day and the tumultuous era of the late 60’s. Based in California, Clift continues to create stories that challenge, provoke, and inspire—driven by a commitment to authenticity and a belief in the transformative power of film.

LESLEY ELIZONDO — Assistant Director/Director of Photography
Lesley Elizondo is a queer Mexican American director, director of photography and cinematography educator born and raised in Los Angeles.

In 2019, Lesley’s DP work with the activist group “Ya Basta” was featured in a week-long video installation on Sacramento and Washington DC’s capitol buildings. Her cinematography has also been featured in the Senorita Cinema Film Festival in Houston, the Pride Arts Center Film Festival in Chicago, the Stella Adler Academy Hollywood Short and Sweet Film Festival in LA, and the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase in St. Louis. On Youtube, Pa Delante has over 96 thousand views and MacBeth has over 3.6 thousand views.

Lesley’s awards include the Women In Film Loreen Arbus Cinematography Fellowship, the Antonio David Blanco Cinematography Fellowship, the NHFA Fellowship, the Dorothy Arzner Memorial Fund, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Grant. Because of her work, Lesley has been invited to attend the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts annual Gala and Pitch Session in Washington DC for the last three consecutive years.

As a cinematographer, she has lensed narrative, serial, documentary, theatrical, protests, live events, music and commercial projects. Lesley completed a Master of Fine Arts in Cinematography from UCLA and two Bachelor of Arts Degrees from the California State University of Long Beach; one in Narrative Film Directing and the other in Spanish Literature.

Most recently, she completed the cinematography on the action short TAPS, the documentary Basta, the HBO pilot Harvest, and is currently doing research for Intern Reaper, a Taiwanese film.

Lesley teaches cinematography, production, and directing as an adjunct professor in UCLA, UCI, Loyola Marymount University, and Cal State University, Fullerton

ALEXANDRA PARRAL— Production Sound Mixer
Young Latino female sound mixer Alexandra Parral has worked all around the world recording athletes and celebrities. From films to documentaries, she has been invited to record sound at the Tokyo Olympics, Russia, Beijing Olympics and the Tour de France. At age 33, Alexandra won her first EMMY by her participation at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5405964/

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.