Born and raised on the prairies, Anne Wheeler grew up entertaining with her Mother, a dynamite stride piano player, and exploring the open country north of Edmonton on her Appaloosa pony. She began her filmmaking career with the award-winning Edmonton film collective, Filmwest, dedicated to making indigenous films that addressed issues including the environment, native rights, women's rights and western politics.

After leaving the collective, Anne worked with the National Film Board and began directing dramatic film and television.Anne has multiple credits as a director on both documentary and drama projects. Her place as one of Canada’s foremost film-makers was established with three multi-award winning features – the documentary A WAR STORY relating the devastating story of her father’s time in a POW camp during World War II; LOYALTIES, a dramatic feature examining issues of sexual abuse and racism; and BYE BYE BLUES, an appealing musical drama inspired by her mother’s experience as a musician in a small dance band during the second world war. Anne has also worked extensively as a director for episodic television, and her recent credits include THE ROMEO SECTION, REIGN, HEARTLAND and BOMB GIRLS.Anne continues to be one of Canada’s most sought after directors, and is active in the film industry as a writer, teacher and mentor. She has received seven honorary doctorates and the Order of Canada.