Hicks was born and raised in Uganda (Africa) as well as raised in Kenya and the UK. He learned his craft as a production assistant and assistant director on several features. In 1981, he helmed his first full-length film, "Freedom!", a well-directed, but ultimately unsatisfying teenaged boy-meets-car story. Hicks' second feature, which he also scripted and produced, was the quality kid-pic "Sebastian and the Sparrow" (1988), which depicted the growing friendship between a wealthy, somewhat sissified teen and a homeless runaway. The scenario avoided the usual cliches and the director handled his material with a gentle, but commanding hand. Visually stunning and acted by relative unknowns, the film won high praise in Australia.
By the mid-1980s, Hicks had begun an association with the American cable network, The Discovery Channel, directing several acclaimed documentaries, including 1989's award-winning "The Great Wall of Iron," about the People's Liberation Army of China just before the Tianenman Square revolt. He co-wrote and directed the four-hour "Submarines: Sharks of Steel: The Hidden Threat" (The Discovery Channel, 1993), which earned him an Emmy Award. Other documentary credits included writing and directing "The Space Shuttle" (The Discovery Channel, 1994) and "The Ultimate Athlete: Pushing the Limit" (The Discovery Channel, 1996). In his homeland, Hicks worked on the TV miniseries "Finders Keepers" and the TV movie "Call Me Mr. Brown."
But it was "Shine" that elevated him to the ranks of A-list directors. Hicks first met David Helfgott around 1986 and scripted a draft of the story then. In 1992, screenwriter Jan Sardi teamed with Hicks to develop the project, but found the financing to be difficult, particularly after Hicks committed to using stage actor Geoffrey Rush in the leading role. After assembling a cadre of investors, Hicks brought his vision to the screen and received critical approbation and several trophies, including the Australian Film Institute Best Director Award and an Oscar nomination.