Bio

Alana Hicks is an award-winning writer and director with a passion for telling impactful stories through innovative and boundary-pushing formats. Originally from Papua New Guinea and now based in Australia, Alana’s work explores themes of identity, culture, and belonging, often with a sharp eye for humour and emotional depth.

Her directorial work spans multiple mediums, from scripted drama to immersive VR experiences. In 2024, she directed Project Tightrope for the Australian Museum, a highly ambitious international collaboration blending narrative and documentary storytelling. She also helmed and co-wrote the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) VR project, tackling complex workplace issues through cutting-edge virtual reality storytelling. Additionally, she directed the groundbreaking SBS series MONI, further solidifying her reputation as a dynamic voice in Australian screen storytelling.

Alana’s previous work includes short films Pasifika Drift (SXSW Sydney, Māoriland, imagineNATIVE) and the AACTA-nominated  Chicken, which won Best Director at Flickerfest and was licensed internationally for educational programs. She also directed an episode of PM’s Daughter Season 1 (ABC/Merman) and worked as a second unit director on Frayed Season 2.

As a writer, Alana won the SBS Emerging Writers’ Competition in 2020, was a recipient of the Neilma Sidney Literary Travel Fund in 2023, and was shortlisted for The Next Chapter Initiative in 2024. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting from AFTRS and has a background in digital producing, thriving on projects that challenge conventions and engage audiences in fresh, meaningful ways.

As a web series producer, Alana co-founded The Kvetch Set Sketch Collective and spearheaded the script development and production of three seasons of the online sketch comedy series The Kvetch Set, as well as directing several live comedy productions. She also co-produced Game Night, a short film adapted from one of The Kvetch Set’s live shows. Game Night was awarded Best Comedy Short Film at the Twin Tiers International Film Festival in New York in 2019, and has been officially selected for a number of international film festivals.

A collaborator in numerous performance collectives, Alana has also participated as a slam poet and playwright at the Sydney Festival, National Young Writers Festival, National Playwriting Conference and Sydney Writers Festival.