After Birth
Longlisted for the BFI-Short Film Fund and starring Aisling Loftus (War and Peace) and Steven Miller (Dept Q), After Birth is a psychological body-horror written and directed by Amy Cudden, due for release in 2026
After her baby breaks her nose and her day implodes, Ma accidentally rips off her entire face in the bathroom. With a blank in its place, she sets out to find a new one... but rediscovering herself proves harder than breastfeeding with mastitis
Aisling Loftus as Ma
Steven Miller as Rory
Eric Stroud as Sam
Funso Foluso-Henry as Ayomide
Amy Cudden (Writer/Director)
Amy is an accomplished actress, director, and writer with extensive experience in both theatre and film. A leading West End actress, she is currently guest-starring in Coronation Street and features in the acclaimed Cillian Murphy film, Steve.Until recently, she was the Joint Head of Screen, Audio and Innovation at LAMDA for five years, bringing a wealth of experience in working with and directing actors across stage and screen, helping to shape the next generation of talent.Amy wrote and co-directed the short film It Takes a God with BAFTA winner Ross McKenzie, and has recently wrapped on a second short, PreAdult. Additionally, she wrote the audio drama Bad Seed for the GNR8 series, which was produced by Audible.Through Childs Road Films, Amy and producer Lucy Cudden have several projects in development, including a first feature that Amy is set to write and direct.
Lucy Cudden (Producer)
Lucy is a multi-award-nominated producer, most notably co-producing the acclaimed short film trilogy The Albion Tales—Misdirection, Property is Theft, and Health, Wealth and Happiness—with Nic Alderton, starring Alex Hassell (Rivals) and MyAnna Buring (The Witcher).The trilogy screened at prestigious genre festivals, including Fantasia (Montreal), FrightFest (UK), Molins, and Fantosfreak (Spain), earning multiple nominations and wins for its producers and writers. It is now streaming on Amazon.A recent graduate of the NFTS, Lucy was also nominated for multiple awards for the short film drama Wasted Seed, receiving both a Best Producer nomination and a Best Short Film nomination.Through Childs Road Films, Lucy has several projects in development, including a first feature, which Amy is set to write and direct.
Nic Alderton (Co-Producer)
Nic is an award-winning, and award-nominated, writer, director, and producer, most recently of the short film trilogy The Albion Tales, starring Alex Hassell and MyAnna Buring, which was selected internationally for numerous prestigious genre festivals. Other works include Shadow Boxer, The Elder, The Deadfall.Through his production company Complexity, Nic continues work on a variety of projects collaborating with global clients. Nic heads the narrative development initiative Aeonic and is the director of the gallery and creative space Secret Mill. Nic has several genre projects in development, including a first feature to direct.
Bianca Alexander (Co-Producer)
Bianca is a Trinidadian, London-based producer and development executive with nearly a decade of experience in film. Her career began in Trinidad and Tobago, where she produced high-end commercials and special features for the national television network before relocating to the UK to further her studies. She earned a BA (Hons) in Filmmaking and later attended the prestigious National Film and Television School.She has worked across productions spanning the Caribbean and the United Kingdom, accumulating over eight feature film credits in her six years within the UK film industry. Her notable credits include Gerard Johnson’s SXSW-selected thriller Odyssey (2025), the Emmy-nominated documentary Name Me Lawand (2022), by Edward Lovelace, and a variety of projects with budgets ranging from £2 - £70 million.Deeply rooted in her West Indian heritage, Bianca is committed to championing stories that reflect the global majority, with a focus on diasporic narratives, powerful female-led work and inclusive productions, both in front and behind the camera.
Most recently, she co-produced Space Daddy (2025), which premiered at the BAFTA-qualifying Frameline Film Festival in San Fransisco, was an official selection at BIFA-qualifying Raindance, and continues its festival run internationally.
Principal Photography Wrapped!
At the tail end of 2025, we wrapped on principal photography for After Birth. Stay tuned for updates!
Thank You
After Birth is a Childs Road Films and Complexity production.