Aaron Bear
Production
Biography
Aaron Bear is an award-winning filmmaker whose work is defined by a rare combination of deeply empathetic storytelling and a relentless commitment to amplifying marginalized voices. His most recent documentary, Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story (2023), won the prestigious 2024 GLAAD Media Award, cementing his place as one of today’s most impactful and visionary documentarians. Known for his ability to capture the raw, unfiltered essence of his subjects, Aaron’s films go beyond surface-level narratives, delving into the humanity and complexity that often go unseen. Aaron’s career is marked by influential partnerships and creative leadership with having directed the 2016 groundbreaking Trans documentary Finding Kim and producing the 2025 short documentary Shelly's Leg - about the legacy of legendary and Seattle's very first gay bar.
Known For
This 2024 GLAAD Media Award winning film explores Ric Weiland’s journey as both a trailblazer in the tech world and a quiet, yet transformative philanthropist. His founding of Microsoft with Bill Gates & Paul Allen, generosity, and determination continue to inspire a new generation of activists. This documentary is a tribute to his life’s mission to make the world a more inclusive and truly better place for everyone.
Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story
A possessive doctor prepares an ostensibly romantic bath for his narcissistic boyfriend, but after an accusation of infidelity, things take a deeply disturbing turn.
Bath Bomb
50 year old Kim is transitioning from female to male gender over a period of four years. The story follows his life, surgery and struggles with his self-image and self-acceptance. Alongside Kim's narrative are interviews with luminaries in the field and trans community.
Finding Kim
A Light In Cañon City illuminates the lives of individuals who have traversed the challenging terrain of incarceration and emerged on the other side with a newfound sense of purpose and hope. Through their stories, viewers are invited to bear witness to the transformative power of second chances, finding inspiration in the triumphs and struggles of those who have faced society's harshest judgments and emerged stronger for it.
A Light In Cañon City
In 1970, an eccentric young stripper named Shelly Baumann loses her leg in a freak parade canon accident, then uses her settlement money to open 'Shelly's Leg' disco - one of the nation's first and most consequential openly gay spaces.
Shelly's Leg
In conversation with her grandson, 93-year-old Carol reminisces on her marriage of 62 years in this vibrantly animated documentary.