Rick Hancox is educated as a filmmaker from the University of Prince Edward Island, New York University and at Ohio University. During his years as a student he won several awards from the Canadian Student Film Festival.

After his years as a student he has worked as a teacher of filmmaking Sheridan College in Oakville and in the Communication Studies Department of Concordia University in Montréal.

His films are known as being poetic and autobiographical. He often works with questions as how personal memory is mediated by social and historical contexts.