'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."

    Timothy Spall

  • "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."

    Joanna Laurie, Producer (ONE LIFE starring Anthony Hopkins)

  • "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."

    Simon Gillis, CEO -See Saw Films & Executive producer of SLOW HORSES

  • "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."

    Adam Randall – Director (SLOW HORSES)

  • "Wonderful tone – beautifully crafted – great performances. A great piece of storytelling."

    Johannes Roberts - Director (48 METRES DOWN)

AWARDS LIST

More updates coming soon as the festival run continues...

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

CRYSTAL PALACE FILM FESTIVAL 2025:
Best Horror Film 

BRITISH SHORT FILM AWARDS 2024:
Founders Award
Best Supporting Actress (Clara Paget)

BEESTON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2025:
Best in Festival

UNRESTRICTED VIEW FILM FESTIVAL 2025:
Best Sound Design
Best Costume Design

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”
— Screen Mayhem

THE CUNNING MAN

Watch the full movie short of 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

CONTACT