Biography

Sanaa Hamri is a Moroccan-American filmmaker working across continents, formats, and scales; from intimate features to global fantasy epics. Her work brings international perspective and the full breadth of human experience to the largest canvases in entertainment. Born in Tangier, Morocco, Hamri is in an overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios. She most recently directed episodes from Seasons 2 and 3 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, returning to Middle-earth for the series’ third season premiering November 11, 2026. She previously served as Executive Producer and Director on Season 2 of Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time, and directed the pilot and second episode of Prime Video’s The Bondsman starring Kevin Bacon.

As Executive Producer and Director of Fox’s Empire from 2015 to 2020, Hamri shaped the visual and musical identity of one of the most culturally influential network series of its era. Her episodic television credits also include American Horror Stories, Gen V, Shameless, Nashville, Elementary, Glee, Rectify, and Desperate Housewives.

As a feature director, Hamri made her debut in 2006 with the Focus Features romantic comedy Something New, becoming the first Moroccan woman to direct a Hollywood studio feature. She went on to direct The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (Warner Bros., 2008) and Just Wright (Fox Searchlight, 2010).

Trained in music video and mentored by Prince ( for whom she served as creative director for fifteen years) Hamri directs epic-scale television and film through rhythm, performance, and emotional architecture rather than spectacle. She places women, and cultures long underrepresented in mainstream storytelling, at the center of the biggest stories.

Hamri began her career as an editor under the mentor ship of Malik Sayeed and within a few years, she began directing music videos. As an acclaimed music video director, Hamri's prolific career boasts collaborations with high profile hip hop/R&B musicians including Prince, Common, Lenny Kravitz, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Snoop Dogg, Jay Z, and Mary J. Blige. Her work has been celebrated by award nominations and wins for some of the industry's highest honors, including and NAACP Image Award for India Arie's 2003 "Little Things" as well as an MTV VMA for Nicki Minaj's 2010 blockbuster hit "Super Bass," which generated an online viewership of over one billion worldwide hits. Hamri also directed Mariah Carey's sold-out live arena concert documentary, "The Adventures of Mimi," which she shot in high-definition using 14 cameras.

A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College, Hamri speaks English, French, Spanish, and Moroccan Arabic.

She lives between Tangier and Los Angeles.

Hamri is repped by CAA, manager Larry Kennar and attorney Patti Felker.
- IMDb mini biography by: Block-Korenbrot Public Relations

First Moroccan woman to direct a Hollywood studio feature, with the 2006 Focus Features romantic comedy "Something New.".

Served as Prince's creative director from 2001 until his death in 2016, working with him for nearly fifteen years.

Daughter of Moroccan painter and author Mohamed Hamri, who was from the village of Joujouka and was part of the Tangier creative circle that included Paul Bowles, William Burroughs, and Brion Gysin.