Image
Jeremy Spears
Jeremy Spears ’07, who graduated from CSULB with a BFA in art illustration, has earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short Film as co-director and writer of “Forevergreen,” a 2025 animated short that follows an orphaned bear cub and a nurturing tree. Spears, an Annie Award-winning story artist at Disney-Pixar, has contributed to major films including “Zootopia 2,” “Zootopia,” “Frozen,” “Moana,” “Encanto” and “Big Hero 6” and helped shape “Forevergreen” alongside co-director Nathan Engelhardt. The short has screened at international festivals and won several awards, including an Oscar-qualifying prize at AFI Fest, before receiving its Academy Award nomination for the 98th Oscars. In a recent interview, Spears credited The Beach with honing his storytelling and composition skills and remembered Professor Robin Richesson ’82, ’95 as a key mentor.