The Artful Bear tradition is a favorite among Milford’s residents, businesses of and around Milford as well as festival-goers! It’s hard not to love the Artful Bears - so much care, creativity and work goes into them! Each Artful Bear is lovingly crafted from a foam hunting target into a piece of original artwork to be enjoyed around town for the weeks leading up to the festival. The Artful Bears are a cherished part of the Black Bear Film Festival’s legacy and bring an additional layer of fun to the event.

Artful Bears are created by all levels of ability and skill sets. Professional artists down to art-lovers and novices have all created bears.