Biography

Ashim Bhalla is an acclaimed filmmaker trained in NYU’s Graduate Film Program under Spike Lee and Founder and Producer of the Purple List screenplay and talent development program. Nineteen feature films have emerged from the Purple List; alums include Desiree Akhavan, Chuko Esiri, Hasan Hadi, Shaka King, Ash Mayfair, Abu Bakr Shawky, Cathy Yan, Josef Kubota Wladkya, Chloe Zhao, and many others. Ashim is Producer (and Co-Writer) of the theatrical documentary Chaplin: Spirit of The Tramp (2024) which received its World Premiere at San Sebastián Film Festival and won the Irizar Award before selling internationally; the film received its North American Premiere at Telluride in 2025. He is Producer of the award-winning Afghanistan war documentary, and 2024 Slamdance ‘Opening Night Film’, One Bullet (2023) directed by Oscar and BAFTA-winner Carol Dysinger. Writer-Director-Producer of the Amazon rainforest drama 973 (2022) distributed worldwide by Canal+. Ashim is an Executive Producer on the dramatic feature film, Master (2026), directed by the breakout Bangladeshi filmmaker Rezwan Shahriar Sumit which received its World Premiere at the 2026 edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) and won the ‘Big Screen Award’.
- IMDb mini biography by: Sardar M. Patelia

Alumnus of the Graduate Film program at NYU.

Founded the NYU 'Purple List' with classmate Shandor Garrison.

Graduated from University College London with a BA in Philosophy.