Bears Discover Fire

United States, 14m, Digital

The story of a lonely man, his dying mother, his curious nephew, and a family of bears that have discovered how to use fire.

Director: Ben Leonberg
Writer(s): Ben Leonberg, Alex Cannon, Scott Riehs
Producer(s): Scott Riehs
Co-Producer(s): Peter Todd, Chloe Lenihan
Associate Producer(s): Matt Brady, Daniel Riehs
Director of Photography: Jan Reichle
Editor(s): Ben Leonberg, Eric Schuman
Production Design: Ali Petre
Composer(s): R.E. Smith
Sound Design: Brian Goodheart

Cast: Daniel Butler, Andrew M. Chamberlain, Edith Ivey

Contact: Ben Leonberg, bleonberg@gmail.com
Scott Riehs, sriehs@gmail.com, www.bearsdiscoverfire.com/

About the Writer/Director

BEN LEONBERG is a deep-south New Jerseyian, a whitewater raft guide, and has been making movies since he was a boy. After learning his craft as a camera operator in New Zealand, Ben worked as a DP and producer in commercial advertising and independent film. In 2010, Ben worked as an in-house director at Reebok LTD. During the summer of 2011, Ben served as the director of photography for the French feature C’est Bon Ca. His short film, The Bacon Tree won the 2010 Ivy Film Festival’s “Best Comedy,” and his post-apocalyptic short, The Fallen Forest, opened the 2013 Wasteland Film Festival.

About the Producer

SCOTT RIEHS is a New York City-based producer and filmmaker. Among several ambitious short films, his Columbia producing credits include Devil’s Work, directed by Miguel Silveira and recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Production Award and the DGA Student Film Award. Scott recently worked as a Locations Assistant on the feature film Three Generations, starring Naomi Watts and Elle Fanning. Bears Discover Fire is Scott’s seventh major collaboration with director Ben Leonberg, but his first featuring bears and torches.