Lionel Coleman cut his teeth at CBS News, learning the language of documentary storytelling before becoming a DGA commercial director and working with brands like Nike, Hyundai and Adidas.

He is an alumni of the CBS Diversity Director program and is currently directing episodic network television with recent episodes on All Rise, NCIS (New Orleans and Hawaii) and God Friended Me. In addition to his mainstream work, Coleman directs narrative films to explore his fascination with the human condition, particularly the challenges we face with race, bias, and prejudice. His 2022 film These Final Hours explores just such a topic and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award as well as winning several film festivals.