Disneynature has released a new featurette that offer a first look at footage from the studio’s next film, Bears.  The first half of the featurette focuses on the studio’s previous nature-centric documentaries and how they’ve been committed to making a meaningful difference in the world, but the second half previews their 2014 release Bears.  Directed by Keith Scholey (African Cats) and Alastair Fothergill (Chimpanzee), the film “cozies up to the brown bears who call Alaska’s stunning coastal mountains and shores their home, revealing through tender moments and entertaining imagery how these animals are far from grizzly creatures.”  The pic promises to be a fascinating look into this gorgeous world, and I look forward to seeing what kind of footage the Disneynature crew has amassed over their extended period of time in Alaska.

Hit the jump to take a look at the featurette as well as a couple of new images from the film.  Bears opens on April 18, 2014.

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Here’s the official synopsis for Bears:

In an epic story of breathtaking scale, Disneynature’s new True Life Adventure “Bears” showcases a year in the life of two mother bears as they impart life lessons to their impressionable young cubs. Set against a majestic Alaskan backdrop teeming with life, their journey begins as winter comes to an end and the bears emerge from hibernation to face the bitter cold. The world outside is exciting—but risky—as the cubs’ playful descent down the mountain carries with it a looming threat of avalanches. As the season changes from spring to summer, the brown bear families must work together to find food—ultimately feasting at a plentiful salmon run—while staying safe from predators, including an ever-present wolf pack. “Bears” captures the fast-moving action and suspense of life in one of the planet’s last great wildernesses—where mothers definitely know best and their cubs’ survival hinges on family togetherness.

Directed by Alastair Fothergill (“Earth,” “African Cats” and “Chimpanzee”) and Keith Scholey (“African Cats”), “Bears” is in theaters April 18, 2014, to celebrate Earth Day.