After studying film at the University of Auckland, Hilary worked in the NZ film industry in the late 1980s and early 1990s in production and as a researcher (The Navigator – Vincent Ward, An Angel at My Table – Jane Campion).
Her family moved to Gibraltar where they lived for 12 years, returning in the mid-2000s. Since then she has worked as a part-time researcher. She is an active committee member of the Nelson Film Society and has a particular interest in choosing short films from the Briefs Student Film Festival to screen with film society features.
Last year she was a judge for the Briefs Film Festival. She is committed to promoting and creating opportunities for young filmmakers.