ABOUT THE FILM

LOGLINE

Did you know there are more than 32,000 mothers in America, many from conservative, Christian backgrounds, who fully accept their LGBTQ+ children? They call themselves “mama bears” because while their love is warm and fuzzy, they fight ferociously to make the world kinder and safer for all LGBTQ+ people.

LONG SYNOPSIS

MAMA BEARS is an exploration of the journeys taken by Sara Cunningham and Kimberly Shappley, two “mama bears”—conservative, Christian mothers whose profound love for their LGBTQ+ children has turned them into fierce advocates for the entire queer community—and Tammi Terrell Morris, a young African American lesbian whose struggle for self-acceptance perfectly exemplifies why the mama bears are so vitally important.

MAMA BEARS is the story of women who have allowed nearly every aspect of their lives to be completely reshaped by love. Although they may have grown up as fundamentalist, evangelical Christians, mama bears are willing to risk losing friends, family, and faith communities to keep their children safe—even if it challenges their belief systems and rips their worlds apart.

Once Kimberly accepted her transgender daughter, Kai, she quickly transformed from a Tea Party Republican to an award-winning “LGBTQ Activist of the Year” as she joined forces with the ACLU and Equality Texas to battle the anti-trans bathroom bill that would prevent her child from using the girls’ bathroom in their small Texas hometown.

Sara went from repeatedly forcing her gay son, Parker, to deny his sexuality to not only embracing him, but founding Free Mom Hugs, a national movement of mothers offering love, acceptance, and hugs to the LGBTQ+ community. With the support of the mama bears, founded by Liz Dyer, Tammi—who knew she was gay as a little girl—went from marrying a man to “earn the promise of heaven” to learning to live her truth as a proud lesbian.

Shot in a poetic, deeply intimate style, MAMA BEARS uses social media posts, home movies, photographs, interviews, and cinema verité footage to explore the complex intersections of politics, religion, faith, and true, unconditional love.

Director Daresha Kyi

Producers Laura Tatham, Daresha Kyi

Executive Producers Sally Jo Fifer, Lois Vossen, Patty Quillin, Scotch Ellis Loring, Chris Panizzon, Kathryn M. Moseley, Tiffany Boyle, Elsa Ramo
supervising producer Michael Ehrenzweig

Consulting Producer Maximina Juson

Associate Producers Lois Saint-Jacques, Artemis Fannin

Editors Hajer S. I. Salem, Kelly Creedon

Director of Photography Amy Bench

Music Gil Talmi

Featuring Sara Cunningham, Kimberly Shappley, Tammi Terrell Morris

FESTIVALS
2022: SXSW (World Premiere)

AVAILABLE TERRITORIES
The World

EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Digital Download