LOS ANGELES (BP) – A 13-minute story heavy with Gospel imagery of grace, sacrifice and rebirth made it to the short list of nominees for Best Animated Short Film at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15.
“Forevergreen” centers around an evergreen tree that becomes a father figure to an orphaned bear cub. When the cub gets a taste, literally, for the world it leaves on its own and eventually finds itself in danger and is saved by a sacrifice.
The film was directed by Nathan Engelhardt and Jeremy Spears, who spoke with The Gospel Coalition about their project. Engelhardt was working on a retelling of “The Tale of Three Trees” when he asked Spears to join. At a point, they independently came up with similar images of a fallen tree bridging a canyon that led to developing “Forevergreen.”
Spears wrote about the experience in a post on Instagram.
“Our hearts are full!” he said. “What a moment this has all been for not just Nathan and I but our incredible team whose passion, talent and generosity made every frame of Forevergreen come to life!!!”
The experience, he added, gave him the chance to “appreciate more fully how the Lord has his hand over all of us and we had a chance to share his love with so many people as it was the inspiration for this film. He sacrificed himself reaching across an infinite chasm to save us, he gave us grace when we didn’t deserve it. And he gives hope to all who reach out to him. God is good, this moment was the cherry on top, and we’re so thankful for this journey that we’ve all had the honor of going on.”
Englehardt, likewise, commented on Instagram.
“I am overwhelmed with joy and gratitude for the amazing experience we had at the Oscars on Sunday,” he said. “It is our crew of over 200 volunteers who helped make this passion project a reality and we are so thankful for each and every one of them.
“Our hearts couldn’t be more full because of this opportunity God gave us to share a film about Grace and sacrificial love with the world. We hope Forevergreen will continue to bless and encourage people for many years to come!”
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