Hannah Cheesman

Hannah Cheesman is a writer, director, actor and producer whose work blends dark comedy, genre and emotionally driven character stories. She has been recognized as a TIFF Emerging Canadian Filmmaker and selected for the Ryan Murphy Half Initiative. As a writer, Cheesman created the original half-hour comedy pilot Badger, sold to Apple Studios for development. She has written for Workin' Moms (CBC), Find Me in Paris (Disney Europe) and SurrealEstate (Hulu/Syfy), and worked in the writers room on the Emmy Award-winning series Orphan Black. She is also the co-creator and writer of the award-winning comedy web series Whatever, Linda, which received more than 20 international and national awards, including the inaugural CanneSeries 'In Development' Award at MIPTV. As a director, Cheesman directed seven episodes of the CBC/ITV/SBS/Beta Films series Something Undone, earning a Directors Guild of Canada nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series. Her feature directing credits include The Boathouse, which won Best Thriller Feature at the San Diego International Film Festival and the Grand Prize Narrative Feature Award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, and the Lifetime feature Caught in His Web, executive produced by Whoopi Goldberg. Her short film Marriaginalia, which she wrote and directed, premiered at TIFF 2025 and is being adapted into the horror feature The Joy. The project was selected for the Blood in the Snow Genre Film Lab and VIFF IMI's inaugural Creative Business Lab. Her earlier short Succor premiered at TIFF 2020 and was a Vimeo Staff Pick. It is now a feature film in development with Lulu Wang, Jen Goyne Blake and Mike MacMillan. As an actor, Cheesman's credits include Hey, Viktor! (Tribeca 2023, TIFF 2023), Star Trek: Discovery, Schitt's Creek and The Institute.