Send us a text

Act One Podcast - Episode 48 - Interview with Directors Phil Cunningham and Brent Dawes of the new film, DAVID.

From the songs of his mother’s heart to the whispers of a faithful God, David’s story begins in quiet devotion. When the giant Goliath rises to terrorize a nation, a young shepherd armed with only a sling, a few stones, and unshakable faith steps forward. Pursued by power and driven by purpose, his journey tests the limits of loyalty, love, and courage—culminating in a battle not just for a crown, but for the soul of a kingdom. Released by Angel Studios, DAVID is in theaters everywhere beginning December 19th, 2025.

Phil Cunningham’s passion for storytelling was ignited and fueled as a young boy growing up in the wild frontier of Zimbabwe, where day-to-day life was often interspersed with larger-than-life characters and fantastic stories. Phil was struck by the incredible power of stories to impact society and in particular the power of animation to cross race, culture, age and gender barriers better than any other medium. Over the last 25 years, Phil together with Jacqui, has built Sunrise Animation Studios in Cape Town, South Africa. The studio’s mission statement is “Inspire Through Story".

Brent Dawes has spent over two decades as the Creative Lead at Sunrise Animation Studios, where (among many other projects) he created the Jungle Beat series and directed Jungle Beat: The Movie, which Netflix acquired in 2021, where it ranked in the Top 10 movies across all genres in its first 3 weeks. Dawes is the writer and co director of the Young David Shorts and the David animated feature film.

Sunrise Animation Studios is a full-service animation studio based in Cape Town, South Africa. Founded by Phil and Jacqui Cunningham, Sunrise has a passion for quality storytelling, and a belief that film and TV are the most powerful mediums for story in the modern era. The company’s mission is to inspire, entertain and enchant audiences worldwide, providing the finest in family entertainment. Sunrise is the production partner for Jungle Beat, a series of high-quality animated short episodes that have become immensely popular worldwide, having been broadcast in over 180 countries and across a range of media platforms including TV, cinema and in-flight entertainment. The brand’s YouTube channel has over 11 Million subscribers and 5 Billion views. Sunrise were also the production provider for the hit animated feature Jungle Beat: The Movie, and the Jungle Beat 2 The Past sequel, released in 2024. Sunrise is also a world leader in sports mascot creation and branding, and partners here include The Welsh Rugby Union, Juventus Football Club, The English Rugby Football Union, and current world champions, South African Rugby. "Story" and "people" remain at the heart of everything the studio does.

The Act One Podcast provides insight and inspiration on the business and craft of Hollywood from a Christian perspective.

Support the show