Two old brown bears -- one male, one female -- are near the end of their lives in Alaska. It is fall, and the other bears are preparing for the winter by foraging, fighting, and fishing. The old bears spend their days lying peacefully on the beach, looking out onto the bounty of the Alaskan wilderness.&nbsp;This film essay meditates on the last days of old grizzly bears as a window into exploring human attitudes about aging and death. Co-Director and Editor&nbsp;Julie Busse is scheduled to be in attendance for the <a href="https://2025.indyfilmfest.org/schedule/67fd640a1389823201c5a150" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fri, Apr 25th, 5:00 PM @ Living Room Theaters</a> screening.

The Old Bear

When old bears go to the mountain for the last time, they aren't just digging their dens -- they're digging their graves. In the Alaskan wilderness, an explorer reflects on what bears teach us about aging, parenthood and death.

In the summer of 1999, Maggie returns to her county fair, determined to win her third Grand Champion title in pig breeding, upholding her family's longstanding legacy.&nbsp;As the pressure of competition mounts, Maggie suffocates under the weight of the familial expectations stifling her identity. She responds by venturing to the forbidden county fair midway. There she discovers a vibrant world of independence and forms an unexpected connection that challenges her family's ideals.As she navigates the line between duty and desire, Maggie must confront what it truly means to find herself --and decide if winning is worth losing who she really is.

Fairground

Fed up with family criticism, a stifled farmer's daughter distances herself from her parents as she navigates her self-identity at the forbidden county fair midway, discovering newfound independence and forming an unexpectedly deep connection.

A newly divorced Chinese immigrant and his son move to the Great Lakes area. The father starts a fishing business that catches only Asian carp in the local river. His son struggles to fit into the new environment and doesn't understand his dad's motives. With help from family and friends, father and son work to reconcile their differences.

English

鲤 [Koi]

An Asian father and his son confront their differences in ways that parallel issues related to the Great Lakes environment and a non-native species there, the Asian carp.

A philosopher and his girlfriend must spend a night at a nudist campsite, an occurrence beyond their comfort zone. An encounter with a friendly couple at the campsite reveals underlying conflicts and tension in their relationship.

Camping in Paradise

A philosopher and his girlfriend involuntarily must spend a night at a nudist campsite, which is far beyond their comfort zone.

United States of America

Shorts:  Beauty of Nature

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