Reform candidate challenged over grandiose ‘film studio’ claims
Martin Shipton
A Reform UK by-election candidate who hopes to become his party’s first member of Cardiff council has failed to explain why Companies House records show that the film company he runs hasn’t actually traded.
Siddiq Mahmood Malik, said to be affectionately known as Sidney, is Reform’s candidate in the Llanrumney ward on July 24. With Reform polling well in Wales, it is thought that the party could win the seat – in a largely white, working class ward – from Labour, whose former councillor Heather Joyce resigned because of her ill-health.
Mr Malik has an extensive website that makes grandiose claims for his ERA Film Studios.
‘Cultural powerhouse’
It states: “ERA Film Studios is a global media and cultural powerhouse, leading a new era in film, music, talent, wrestling, real estate consultancy, and global impact. We redefine storytelling, creative excellence, industry innovation, and global influence by merging future technologies, immersive extended reality, and virtual production and artificial intelligence. Our mission is to push the boundaries of entertainment, collective digital experiences, and strategic influence.
“From pioneering VR filmmaking to shaping AI driven media, Era Film Studios is at the forefront of a new creative and technological era. We create groundbreaking, inclusive, and diverse films for global audiences and design and deliver immersive and innovative new media entertainment for our clients and partners. Innovating storytelling through immersive tech, virtual production, and AI driven content. We are now engaging in ‘synaptic’ filmmaking.”
The website also contains a biography of Sydney Malik, which states: “An innovator of immersive film, Sydney Malik is the director of the first British virtual reality feature film, Once Upon a Time in Britain, and the founder of ERA Film Studios and KSA Pro Wrestling. A pioneering creative, Sydney is a rising young British actor and producer, writer, and director of feature films.
“Malik has also produced independent British horror feature and cult films with a focus on projects that exhibit cultural diversity and address important industry realities. Malik was born in London, England to a prestigious Saudi Arabian family as Siddiq Mahmood Malik or Syed Siddiq Malik and performs under the stage name and wrestling persona, Sydney Malik and Sydney King.”
‘Passionate’
Reform endorsed Mr Malik when his candidacy was announced, stating: “Sidney is passionate about Reform. It runs in his family as he is a descendant of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, the 19th-century Muslim reformer and scholar.
“Sidney himself is a Cardiff resident who is motivated by making a difference to those around him and delivering on promises. You won’t find him U-turning on everything he says! He currently runs ERA Film Studio who use an innovative mixture of AI and VR in their production process.
“He is keen to take the fight to Labour as Reform is in all reality the only viable option in Llanrumney.
“The Reform UK Cardiff Branch is proud to announce the selection of Sidney Mahmood Malik as our official candidate for the upcoming Llanrumney by-election. Our dedicated team is campaigning hard in the very heart of traditional Labour territory here in Cardiff.
“Across Llanrumney, we are hearing the overwhelming voice of residents who are dissatisfied with both the Labour UK and Welsh governments.
“Reform UK is here to offer a real credible alternative to voters, and we look forward to continuing the campaign.”
Reality
Yet the portrayal of Mr Malik and his company as cinematic innovators at the vanguard of new production techniques is at odds with the reality that according to returns made to Companies House, the company hasn’t in fact traded since it was established in 2008.
At the outset it had £10,000 in share capital not paid, and that remained the case until the most recently filed set of accounts for the year ending September 30 2023.
Between 2018 and 2025 there were seven applications made by the Registrar of Companies for the company to be struck off the register of companies at Companies House. All of the applications to dissolve the company were withdrawn, most recently in May 2025. The firm’s latest accounts should have been filed with companies by the end of June. They are flagged as “overdue” on the Companies House website.
According to the most recent annual return, ERA has just one employee.
There is no record of the film Once Upon a Time in Britain having been released.
The company’s registered office In Bristol is in a block of offices where space can be rented by the hour.
We sent Mr Malik a series of questions via Reform:
Your company’s website very much gives the impression that Era is a functioning company with many projects run from the studio. Yet Companies House returns indicate that it is a dormant company and that seven attempts have been made by the Registrar of Companies to wind it up. How do you account for this discrepancy?
Is the studio based in St Albans, Bristol or somewhere else?
Does Era own the studio, rent it or only use it occasionally?
What films have actually been produced and released?
Where can the films be accessed?
Are films in current production? If so, what is it/are they?
Why does the company have only one employee?
Your Linked-In profile states that you are based in London. Is that the case?
Where do you live in Cardiff, how long have you lived in the city and what do you do here?
Mr Malik did not respond.
‘Zero respect’
A Labour source said “The usual rubbish from Reform – picking a candidate with no connection to the community. His company seems to only exist on paper and they can’t even say where in Cardiff he lives. This shows zero respect for the voters of Llanrumney, a place he had probably never heard of before he was made candidate.”
Mr Malik took over as the Reform candidate after his predecessor was deselected around an hour after being chosen when complaints were made that he had allegedly appeared in a video several years ago expressing admiration for Joseph Goebbels, the Nazis’ propaganda chief.
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An interesting line from the company statement is ‘we redefine storytelling’. Add in Reform UK and what comes to mind? Alternative truth and disinformation. It’s easy to see how this service will be of use to them.
Brilliant questions. The lack of answers is so telling even a gold fish would remember.
These questions present a fabulous publicity opportunity and no response. Bizarre!
Goldfish have good memories of those who take care of them…leave the animal kingdom out of the mess men make…still would not buy a Rolex off him
Is it Sidney or Sydney, you seem to flop between the two?
Siddiq
So far, every one of the Reform candidates unveiled in Wales is either a nut job, dodgy or a nobody. I can’t wait to see the rabble they announce for the Senedd elections.😂
Andrew RT Davies.
I’m convinced he’s going to pop up in Reform colours.
… you thinking of joining them?
I wouldn’t vote for scum like Farage at gunpoint.
Good work. Nice to see real journalists at work, digging down beneath surface appearances to show the reality of Reform candidates.
To a youngster these days a ‘film company’ is them uploading clickbait YouTube clips of them playing a reality war game, while shouting down the stairs to mum that the internet speed at the house is too slow.
Very sad but very scary that some of these individuals want to be leaders of the future.
With journalism like nation.cymru, reasonably sensible individuals can clearly see the person asking for their vote.
Don’t mock Adrian.
Thing is, he is making a lot of claims that can be checked. There a people working in these fields now that spend huge amounts of money to perfect and to make content and bring to market.
This means it can be peer reviewed and analysed meaning there should be a good portfolio of work available to scrutinise.
Only seeing press cuttings from Arab News on his site?
Well he is a young man. I don’t know whether he is Muslim but if he is hopefully he subscribes to British values and does not spend too much time in London.
As we all know Farage did tell Trevor last year on Sky news:
“We have a growing number of young people in this country who do not subscribe to British values.
“In fact, loathe much of what we stand for. I think we see them on the streets of London every Saturday.”
Did he write Rachel Reeves’s CV, or Starmer’s manifesto?
What difference does that make? He is standing for a local councillor position in East Cardiff.
Adrian never responds to my questions. Bit of pattern here.
Lucky you, Amir. You’re far too polite.
Try not to engage too much with someone who openly supports abusers. They’re definitely not safe people to deal with.
He does seem to be quite the fantasist, perhaps he could write up Reform’s manifesto. About as much of a global powerhouse as Farage is a “man of the people”.
To his credit he’s certainly living up to his claim to be redefining storytelling.
Is it too late for Labour to get this out as an election leaflet?
Yet again Reform UK trying to use and abuse Wales to their own twisted political ends. He sounds like a fantasist. A backstreet car lot vendor. As shifty as hell.
A Poundland Farage.
Wrestling and real estate?
🤔
Wreally?