Perry Bhandal

Perry Bhandal (born 12 January 1968) is a British film director, screenwriter, producer, and author. He is known for the films Interview with a Hitman, The Last Boy, and the generatively produced series Okay, It’s Time to Go. He is also the author of _prelude, a collection of short stories and artwork, and The Winter Man, a crime thriller novel.

Perry Bhandal
Perry Bhandal in 2019
Born	(1968-01-12) 12 January 1968 (age 57) Taplow, UK
Nationality	British
Alma mater	University of Manchester
Occupation(s)	Film director, screenwriter, producer, author
Years active	2012–present
Notable work	Interview with a Hitman, The Last Boy, Okay, It’s Time to Go

Early life

Bhandal was born in Taplow, England, and is of Sikh heritage. He received a BSc from the University of Manchester, followed by M.A. degrees in film and creative writing from Brunel University.^[1]

Career

In May 2009, Bhandal founded the film production company Kirlian Pictures and began developing his debut feature, Interview with a Hitman.^[1]

He shot the film in 18 days in August 2011 on location in Newcastle and Bucharest. It had its market premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2012 and was later released theatrically in the UK on 20 July 2012, and in the US on 5 March 2013.^[2][3]

Bhandal directed his second feature, the Rumi-inspired science fiction fantasy thriller The Last Boy, in 2017.^[4][5] The film was released in 2019.

In 2024, Bhandal wrote, directed, and produced Okay, It’s Time to Go, a dystopian short film created entirely using generative tools. The 38-minute film explores the societal impact of a fictional suicide device known as the "Stopwatch", examining themes of population ethics and personal autonomy. It was released on Amazon Prime in December 2024 and later expanded into an episodic mini-series. The second episode, titled The Death of Birth, was released in April 2024. The final episode, Press the Button, is scheduled for release in September 2025 on Amazon.^[6]

In May 2025, Bhandal was featured in a Franceinfo article on the growing use of generative technology in auteur cinema at the Cannes Film Festival. Describing his work on the series, he said: “If I want to use special effects that would cost $10 million to make, I can now.” Reflecting on his creative process, Bhandal drew a comparison with George Lucas's approach to character design on Revenge of the Sith, noting: “I do the same, but with a simple computer.”^[7] Bhandal has described generative tools as “the most powerful equaliser in cinema history”, highlighting their role in enabling independent filmmakers to create work that previously would have required significant budgets and large teams.^[6]

Publications

• _prelude – a collection of short stories and artwork (2020), ISBN 978-1-9831-3734-1
• The Winter Man – a crime thriller novel (2020), ISBN 978-1-5272-5946-1

Filmography

Feature films

Year	Title	Credited as
		Director	Screenwriter	Producer
2012	Interview with a Hitman	Yes	Yes	Yes
2019	The Last Boy	Yes	Yes	Yes
2024	Okay, It’s Time to Go	Yes	Yes	Yes