Sanaa Hamri () is a Moroccan American music video and film director. She is one of the few prominent female film and music video directors of color.

Early Life and break-through

Hamri was born in Tangier, Morocco to the late Moroccan painter and author, Mohammed Hamri. In 1992, at the age of 17, she won a scholarship to Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, where she studied theatre. She studied her junior year of college in Paris, graduated in 1996 and then moved to Manhatten. With dreams of becoming an actress, Hamri struggled through auditions and unemployment before she decided to try directing. Sanaa taught herself to use an Avid editing machine in 2000 and has never taken a filmmaking course. Realizing, she had a talent for putting images together in order to tell a story, Hamri began making videos and approaching the music industry. Sarah Lawrence Magazinebeautiful People 2006: Sanaa Hamri

Her big break came, when video mogul Malik Sayeed saw one of her early productions and loved it. He showed it to Mariah Carey, who was just as impressed as Malik and hired Sanaa to direct her video. He also gave Hamri her first editing job for a reggae/ hip hop fusion group call Born Jamacians. Hamri made her directing debut two years later after meeting music viedo director Hype Williams. Director Sanaa Hamri Gears Up for Her Second Motion Picture

Career

Her videos include but are not limited to Jadakiss's "U Make Me Wanna", Prince's "Musicology", Kelly Rowland's "Stole" and Mariah Carey's "Crybaby", Bringing On The Heartbreak, "Don't Stop (Funkin' 4 Jamaica)", and Mariah Carey's unreleased video for "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life." She has also directed videos for Lenny Kravitz, Prince, Joss Stone, Sting, Common, Eric Benet, Amel Larrieux, Jay- Z, and Christina Aguilera.

Production began in March 2005 on Focus Features' Something New, a romantic comedy starring Sanaa Lathan (Brown Sugar, Alien vs. Predator) and Simon Baker (The Ring Two, L.A. Confidential) and directed by Sanaa Hamri. the film was released January 29, 2006. Stephanie Allain is producing the film through her company, Homegrown Pictures. Something New was Hamri's first film # Girl Talk - Sanaa Hamri and Sanaa Lathan Had a Blast Making a Serious Romantic Comedy, as she made the transition from music videos to features. Something New was the first major studio release in Hollywood that was produced by, directed by, written by, and starring African American women. Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 was the second film Sanaa Harmi directed and was released on August 6, 2008.

Along with directing feature film and music videos, Hamri also directs television. Hamri has directed multiple episodes of ABC's Desperate Housewives, Greys Anatomy, and Men in Tress. Mariah Carey's live concert documentary, The Adventures of Mimi, and Prince's The Art of Musicology and Price Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas were directed by Hamri. Her recent commercial credits include spots for Coors Light and AT&T.