A United States/Canadian citizen, Terri Hanauer graduated with an honors degree in Theatre Arts from York University, Toronto. She has worked in both countries as an actress in film, television, commercials and theatre, appearing at the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles and the Arena Stage, Washington D.C.

Her extensive background as an actress and photographer led her to directing her first short film, “A Day in the Life, ” which screened at numerous festivals. She was accepted into AFI’s DIRECTING WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN. Her short, “Recycling Flo,” was chosen by AFI to represent it at the Cannes Film Festival – International Short Film Corner. It screened at over 40 festivals and won Two BEST SHORT FILM/JURY awards.

She directed the 1st season of the cult-hit comedy “Smothered” on Amazon Prime. She co-directed 13 half-hour episodes of “Zane’s Chronicles” for HBO/After dark.

Her first feature film, “Sweet Talk,” is distributed by Gravitas Ventures and is available on Apple Plus, Vudu and iTunes.

On stage, she directed “Café Society” at the Odyssey Theatre where she received HONORABLE BEST DIRECTOR and the cast received BEST ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY; “The Trip Back Down” at the Whitefire Theatre for which Broadway World nominated her BEST DIRECTOR; “La Ronde de Lunch” for the Katselas Theatre Company, which was Ovation Recommended and received 6  LA STAGE SCENE AWARDS including BEST DIRECTION; Mitch Hara’s “Mutant Olive” BEST SOLO SHOW AWARD; “The Way You Look Tonight,” “Mutually Assured Destruction” and “The Assassination of Leon Trotsky: A Comedy”; Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies’ “Collected Stories” which was invited to the EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL; Thaao Penghlis’ touring solo show “Places”; John Posey’s award-winning “Father, Son and Holy Coach,” BEST OF 2016 list/touring the country; Gary Goldstein’s “April, May & June” nominated BEST DIRECTOR by Broadway World; at The Odyssey Theatre, “Drama Queens from Hell,” “The Death and Life of Mary Jo Kopechne,” and in 2022, “Remembering the Future.”

Stevie Wonder blessed her baby when she was nine months pregnant, magician Doug Henning sawed her in half when she was his assistant and the hugging saint, Amma, hugged her.

She has just completed her debut novel, The Lightness of Rain.

The short story, “Blue Suede Shoes” was published in On The Bus, and “The Cat” in Side-Eye Anthology.