Draft:Kyle Portbury

Early work and Beyond the Search (2007–2014)

Portbury's early career included directing the documentary The Mountain Within (2009), which followed a multi-ability team of climbers on Kilimanjaro and won Best Documentary at the Mountain Film Festival in California.^[4] He also directed the television series Beyond the Search, which won 15 international awards including the CINE Golden Eagle.^[5]

Tell the World and academic career (2015–2019)

Portbury wrote and directed Tell the World (2015), a historical drama about the founding of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The film received a nomination for Best Direction in an Online Drama at the 2017 Australian Directors Guild Awards, making Portbury the first director of a faith-based production to receive an ADG nomination.^[6]

From 2015 to 2019, Portbury served as Associate Professor of Communication at Southwestern Adventist University in Texas, where he also directed the Institute of Christian Film.^[6] During this period, he directed the animated short film Truth (2018), about Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman?" speech. The film won the Lone Star Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Historic/Cultural – Program Feature/Segment, and Portbury received an additional Emmy nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Directing.^[7] The film was subsequently distributed by PBS.^[1]

The Hopeful (2024)

Portbury directed and produced The Hopeful (2024), a historical drama set in 19th-century New England depicting the origins of the Seventh-day Adventist movement. The film's production began in 2013 as a six-part online series shot in Upper Canada Village, with Portbury later securing the footage and reworking it into a feature film. Post-production was completed in Sydney in late 2022, using facilities including The Post Lounge, Mighty Sound, and Spectrum Films.^[2] The film was distributed by Fathom Events and released theatrically on over 900 screens across the United States in April 2024.^[3][8] It reached the top 10 at the US box office during its limited release.^[1] The film received a 93% positive audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes.^[9]

Portbury received his third Australian Directors Guild nomination, for Best Direction of a Feature Film (budget $1.5 million and above), for his work on The Hopeful. He was nominated alongside George Miller (Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga), Robert Connolly (Force of Nature: The Dry 2), and Paul Middleditch and Hamish Bennett (Uproar).^[10][11] The award was won jointly by Miller and by Middleditch and Bennett.^[12]

David (2025)

Portbury co-wrote the animated musical David (2025) with Brent Dawes and Sam Wilson. Produced by Angel Studios and Sunrise Animation Studios in Cape Town, the film depicts the biblical story of David from shepherd to king. It was released theatrically on over 3,000 screens in the United States in December 2025 and in 43 international markets.^[13] The film features music by Joseph Trapanese and voice performances by Phil Wickham and Brandon Engman.^[14]

Portbury's involvement in the project came through professional relationships developed during his career. He was invited to join the writing team in Cape Town after the film's directors sought an additional writer, a process he described as typical of how opportunities in his career have arisen through personal connections rather than formal applications.^[1]