FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION – BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT: THE PEARL COMB
'The Pearl Comb’, starring Beatie Edney, Simon Armstrong, Ali Cook and Clara Paget.
Produced by Stigma Films. Written and directed by Ali Cook.
For festival information on the project please follow: @thepearlcombfilm
“Atmospheric, intriguing, very nicely shot, classy special effects, nicely paced and very well performed”
“THE PEARL COMB immediately set itself apart – ambitious, smart, scary, dramatic, funny, and above all, expertly crafted. Ali’s command of story and ability for holding an audience’s attention feel rare and distinctive”
“A striking and assured debut short from writer-director Ali Cook, a bold new filmmaking voice. The Pearl Comb lingers long after the credits roll and is an impressive calling card for a filmmaker, we’ll no doubt be hearing a lot more from”
“A big production with fantastic production design, costumes and cinematography. While it clearly had the resources to stand next to most productions on British TV, its creativity, boldness of imagination, and clever switching of tone and genre made it really stand out”
“Wonderful tone – beautifully crafted – great performances. A great piece of storytelling”
AWARDS LIST
More updates coming soon as the festival run continues...
SCAD SAVANNAH FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best Horror Short
INDY SHORTS 2025:
Horror Audience Choice Award
GROSSMANN FANTASTIC FILM & WINE FESTIVAL 2025:
Méliès d'argent Award
CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025:
Best ‘After Hours’ Short
FLICKERS RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best Horror Short
Best Cinematography
SAN JOSE INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Audience Choice Award ('It Was a Dark and Stormy Night')
IMAGINE FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Silver Scream Award for Best Short
BRITISH SHORT FILM AWARDS 2024:
Founders Award
Best Supporting Actress (Clara Paget)
NEW YORK INDIE SHORTS AWARDS 2025
Best Horror Short
WORCESTER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best Production Design
WOMEN OVER 50 FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best Drama
NORTH EAST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best Horror
CRYSTAL PALACE FILM FESTIVAL 2025:
Best Horror Film
KINO LONDON SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best Production Design
Best Cinematography
BEESTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025:
Best in Festival
RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITING AND FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best Horror and Best Cinematography
TEES VALLEY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best Horror
LONE STAR FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Jury Award for Best Narrative Short
SPASM FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Audience Choice Award (2nd place)
MANIATIC FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best VFX
E14 FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best Short Film
UNRESTRICTED VIEW FILM FESTIVAL 2025:
Best Sound Design
Best Costume Design
UNRESTRICTED VIEW HORROR FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best British Short Film
The Si Spencer Award
Best VFX
SAN FRANCISCO SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Audience Choice Award for Best Foreign Genre
LIT SCARES INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2025
Best Short Film
Best Director
Best Actor (Beatie Edney)
Best Producer
HELLS HALF MILE FILM & MUSIC FESTIVAL 2025
Best Screenplay
Grand Jury Prize
HORRORHAUS FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best Featurette
Best Cinematography
CHESAPEAKE FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best of Fest
IGNITE FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best Horror Film
Best Ensemble Cast
Best post-production
BOURNEMOUTH FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best Director - Genre Short
Best Cinematography – Genre Short
NEW RENAISSANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2025
Best Horror Short
PRAIRIE FEST 2025
Best Cinematography
Best Special Effects
HASTINGS ROCKS 2025:
Best Fantasy Film
Best Visual Effects
WHITE ROSE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025:
Best Short Horror
Best Actor (Beatie Edney)
Best Producer (Matthew James Wilkinson and Ross James)
Best Cinematography (Dave Miller)
Best Edit (Sadaf Nazari)
Runner up – Best Director (Ali Cook)
Runner up – Best Acting Ensemble
THE CUNNING MAN has screened at over 88 international film festivals (including FrightFest, the Oscar qualifying Cleveland International Film Festival, the Oscar qualifying Cinequest, the BAFTA & BIFA qualifying Norwich Film Festival, the BAFTA qualifying Underwire Festival, Morbido, the BAFTA qualifying Aesthetica Festival, the Oscar Qualifying In The Palace International Film Festival, and the BAFTA qualifying Carmarthen Bay International Film Festival). So far it has won 33 awards. It was BAFTA long-listed in 2019 and came runner up for the prestigious Melies D’Argent award at the Abertoir Horror Festival.
“Oddly charming with great performances”
THE CUNNING MAN
AWARDS LIST
2nd place – Short Film Competition – Abertoir 2019
Online Winner – Lift-Off London 2019
Best Fantasy Film – Soho London Independent Film Festival 2020
Best Lead Actor – Soho London Independent Film Festival 2020
Best Supporting Actor – Soho London Independent Film Festival 2020
Best Short Film – London Independent Film Festival 2020
Finalist – Best of Fest Short Film – Show Low Film Festival 2019
Winner – Award of Merit – Global Shorts 2019
Best Fantasy – London Rocks Film Festival 2020
Best of Festival – Kolkata International Short Film Festival 2020
Best Fantasy – Dreamer of Dreams Film Festival 2019
Best of Fest – Kolkata Shorts International Film Festival 2020
Grand Prize – Hallucinations Collectives 2020
Best Director – New Renaissance Film Festival 2019
Best Cinematography – South African Independent Film Festival 2020
Best Director – Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival 2019
Remi Winner – Worldfest-Houston 2020
Best Director – Detroit Shetown Women’s Festival 2019
Award of Merit – One-Reeler Short Film Competition
Best International Short Film – Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema 2020
Best Film – Exit 6 Film Festival 2019
Best Film – Jury – 7th Noida International Film Festival 2020
Best of Fest – Show Low Film Festival 2019
Best Production Design – Oxford International Short Film Festival 2020
Winner – Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema 2020
Best Director – Unrestricted View Horror Film Festival 2019
Award Winner – Unrestricted View Horror Film Festival 2019
Best Sound Design – Unrestricted View Horror Film Festival 2019
Best Cinematography – Unrestricted View Horror Film Festival 2019
Best Short – Unrestricted View Horror Film Festival 2019
Special Mention – Unrestricted View Horror Film Festival 2019
DIRECTING CREDITS
THE PEARL COMB - STIGMA FILMS
WRITING CREDITS
THE GRIMOIRE – Stigma Films | In Development
THE CUNNING MAN – Harvest Films | Zoe Dobson
CASSY & JUDE – F&ME | In Development
GET LUCKY– Universal Pictures | Sacha Bennett
DIRTY TRICKS – C4 | Steve Smith
SECRET WORLD OF MAGIC – Sky One | Simon Dinsell
MONKEY MAGIC– Five | Simon Dinsell
PSYCHIC SECRETS – Five | Jay Dickell
PRODUCING CREDITS
BURIAL – Executive Producer
PROMENADE – Executive Producer
THE CUNNING MAN – Producer
LITTLE RIVER RUN – Executive Producer
COLLIDE – Executive Producer
THE BOY WITH A CAMERA FOR A FACE – Associate Producer
OUTSIDE BET – Executive Producer
DARK TIDE – Executive Producer
ACTING CREDITS
FEATURE FILMS
WINTER OF THE CROW - Male nurse - Wild Mouse Production/Iris Productions | Kasia Adamik
PREZIDENTKA – Cameron Jones – Marlene Film Productions | Rudolf Havlik
THE OBSCURE LIFE OF THE GRAND DUKE OF CORSICA – Josef – Camelot Films | Daniel Graham
TWIST – Porter – Sky Original | Martin Owen
MUSCLE – Harry – Stigma Films | Gerard Johnson
HOW TO FAKE A WAR – Simon Boggan – F&ME / Bankside Films | Rudolph Herzog
IN THE CLOUD – Paul Avalon – Sony Pictures | Robert Scott Wildes
ONCE UPON A TIME IN LONDON – Teddy Odd Legs – Signature | Simon Rumley
ISOLANI – Rudy – Lola Pictures / 4Digital | Paul Wilson
LOVE TYPE D – Stuart - Midnight Circus Films | Sasha Collington
I MADE THIS FOR YOU – Stuart - Ephemera Films | Cristian Solimeno
THE CALL UP – Edward – Altitude/Stigma Films | Charles Barker
THE MESSENGER – Geoff – Gateway / 101 Films | David Blair
KAJAKI – Sgt. Paul McMellon – Pukka Films | Paul Katis
THE ANOMOLY – Agent Travis – Universal Pictures | Noel Clarke
OUTSIDE BET – Stevie – Universal Pictures | Sacha Bennett
PETERMAN – Constable Phillips – Control Films | Mark Abraham
THE TURTLE AND THE NIGHTINGALE – Harry Senior – HBO | Gershon Hinkson
WELCOME TO KARASTAN – Daniel – F&ME / Bulldog Film | Ben Hopkins
THE BOY AND THE BUS – Yorkie – BBC Worldwide | Simon Pitts
TELEVISION
FALLING – Ben – Channel 4 | Sasha Ransome
RAGDOLL – DCI Terrence Simmons – AMC | Toby MacDonald and Niall MacCormick
ABC MURDERS – German Officer – BBC1 | Alex Gabassi
EMMERDALE – Patrick (recurring) – ITV1 | Nickie Lister
MR. SELFRIDGE – Journalist – ITV1 | Rob Evans
CABARET DU MONDE – Various – France 2 | Bernard Gonner
THE INVINCIBLES – Various – ITV1 | Andy Scott
DIRTY TRICKS – Various (recurring) – C4 | Steve Smith
Nominated for a British Comedy Award
SECRET WORLD OF MAGIC – Various (recurring) – Sky One | Simon Dinsell
THE GREATEST MAGIC TRICKS IN THE UNIVERSE – Various (recurring) – Five | Stefan Stuckert
PSYCHIC SECRETS – Steven (recurring) – Five | Jay Dickell
MONKEY MAGIC – Monkey Boy (recurring) – Five | Simon Dinsell
JERRY@TRICK SKETCH SHOW – Various (recurring) – Five | Jerry Sadowitz