"The Paper Bear" film nears completion as controversial legislation passes in Tallahassee

ALYS BEACH — It has been a few months since The Northwest Florida Daily News last reported on a feature film filmed entirely in Walton County. Since December, the director of "The Paper Bear," Arix Zalace, and his team have been putting the final touches on a film destined to enter the film festival scene later this year.

However, the film's conservation and education efforts about the Florida black bear have been muddled due to recent legislation that was introduced, then passed in the Florida Legislature.

'The Paper Bear' update

After four long years of filming and production, which included over 8,000 hours of living with a pair of Florida black bears in Walton County, Zalace says his feature film, "The Paper Bear," is set to cross the finish line of project completion.

Set in Walton County, the film tells the story of a young boy named Max and his father as they journey through the diverse ecosystem of the Florida Panhandle. Set over the course of a week, Max's father begins tracking a young female black bear.

As campfire stories are told — inspired by a notebook left behind by Max's late grandfather — his imagination runs wild through animated sequences that allow Max to gain a deeper appreciation of the diverse ecosystem around him.

The Daily News last reported on Zalace's feature film endeavor on Dec. 1, when the Walton County Commission approved $400,000 in tourism development funds. With those funds, Zalace and his team of 25 animators could complete the 2-D animation, which is in the final stages of completion.

Once finished with the animation, Zalace and his team will begin to meet with actors to record dialogue for the characters while working with a composer to create a score for the film. They will then enter the final editing process before the film's debut at film festivals later this year.

For supporters of the project since its beginning, residents will soon have an opportunity to meet and greet with the film stars, with events on March 13 at Alys Beach and April 3 in Grayton Beach. The film also will have test showings later this year in Walton County before the film enters the film festival circuit.

To stay up-to-date while the finishing touches are made on the film, along with an updated schedule for test screenings, visit "The Paper Bear" on social media channels such as Facebook and Instagram.

House Bill 87

While on the topic of "The Paper Bear" project, the Daily News also asked Zalace about a controversial bill that, as of Feb. 21, was on its way to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis after passing in both the Florida House and Senate.

Introduced by state Rep. Jason Shoaf, R-Port St. Joe, HB 87, also known as the "Self Defense Act of 2024," would clear individuals of any wrongdoing for the killing of a bear as long as it is to prevent death or injury to oneself, another person or a pet, as long as a person didn't intentionally put themselves or a pet in a situation where lethal force is needed.

If a bear is killed, the individual who committed the act must contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission within 24 hours. The selling or disposal of bear parts is not allowed.

Shoaf said that the bill doesn't target black bears but "crack bears" who are in your living room, threatening your life and property.

“When you run into one of these crack bears, you should be able to shoot it, period," said Shoaf during a committee meeting. "You shouldn’t have to pause or be afraid you’re (going to) get arrested or harassed or pay fines. That’s just crazy.”

The new law is a departure from what currently is enforced. By law, the only way a shooting is deemed justifiable is if the act was taken to protect a human life. If a black bear is killed, an investigation is performed to find the details of why the incident happened in the first place. If a bear were to die due to malicious intent, a fine of up to $1,000 could be levied, along with one year in jail.

Opponents of the bill, like Zalace, find the bill redundant. Like many others, he says that residents currently have the right to defend themselves against a bear when threatened, and the passing of new legislation could open the door to unlawful and unnecessary bear deaths in the future, along with adding an excessive risk to bystanders.

In a letter written by Zalace to Florida senators, Zalace notes Shoaf represents residents in mostly rural areas surrounded by national forests and state parks, with most of the residents of these communities being established hunters. With the new law, it could put residents who live in neighborhoods at risk, with the possibility that a bullet could hit a person.

"It is not an easy task to shoot and kill a full-grown bear," wrote Zalace. "This is a very dangerous precedent to set."

What can I do to prevent bear encounters?

According to data provided by FWC, since 1976, there have been 39 documented incidents where a person has been injured by a black bear within the state, with three of those incidents involving hospitalization; none of the reported incidents were fatal.

Of those 39 incidents, 25, or 64%, have involved a situation where one or more dogs have been included in an encounter. For Zalace, it is important to note that to bears, dogs can be seen as predators. If dogs were on a leash, a bear would not need to defend itself.

In our conversation with Zalace, he said this bill probably would have never been introduced if more people had been better educated about black bears.

For Zalace, he believes that when most people think of the Florida black bear, they think of bears found in northern areas. While the two have a common genetic link, the Florida bear is a subspecies of the American black bear.

The Florida black bear's temperament is usually one of shyness and reclusivity, with a diet consisting mostly of plants and insects, which FWC estimates is 95% of the bears' diet. The other 5% is made up of animals, mostly done by scavenging dead animals in the wild.

This shyness and reclusivity is also made known in how bears communicate. If a bear feels threatened, it may not roar or growl at the threat. The most common reaction seen is that they may slap the ground or make huffing, snapping or popping sounds with their mouths. If those warnings go unanswered, a bear might make a "false charge" before running away.

To keep bears away, Zalace echoed FWC tips when trying to avoid contact with bears; those steps include using a bear-resistant container, protecting gardens and beehives with electric fencing, feeding pets indoors, cleaning grills, and storing them in a secure place and picking ripe fruit from trees and removing fallen fruit from the ground.

"They're incredibly intelligent animals, and that's the part we've got to understand," added Zalace. "Over a four-month period, we just have to do things differently."

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: "The Paper Bear" film and conservation, battling Florida legislation