Joslyn Rose Lyons

Joslyn Rose Lyons is an American director, filmmaker, and producer.

Early life and education
Lyons began college at California College of the Arts where she studied Visual Arts and finished her degree at University of California, Berkeley in Film Theory.

Film career
Lyons' films have been featured on BET, SHOWTIME, Paramount Pictures/Paramount Plus, STARZ, streaming platforms, and at film festivals nationally and throughout the world. Her work with BET began at Rap City and extends from producing content such as Hip Hop Chess with RZA and GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan, to Directing the first Music Matters Grammy Showcase Grammy Edition with PJ Morton, Mack Wilds, Mali Music, at the Creative Artists Agency, to producing BET Celebrity Basketball with Nick Cannon, Chris Brown, Trevor Jackson, Jemele Hill, Angela Yee, and Lil Rel Howery for the BET Awards.

Lyons is the Impact Producer on Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power. The film won the 53rd NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Documentary. Teaming up with STARZ #Takethelead initiative on the Transparency Talks.

For LeBron James’ digital platform UNINTERRUPTED, Joslyn created and executive produced Same Energy, with episodes featuring Marshawn Lynch, and 2 Chainz.

Lyons has directed and produced music videos that have debuted on MTV, and BET, for artists including Mali Music, Too $hort ft. Dom Kennedy, E-40, Talib Kweli, Chad Hugo (The Neptunes N.E.R.D.) "Frozen Hearts". Vince Staples, Common, Mahershala Ali, and, Hieroglyphics.

Lyons made her directorial debut with the Hip Hop documentary Sounds of Spirit, (Common, Saul Williams, Cee-Lo, Goapele) which won Best Music Documentary at the New York International. Joslyn has contributed to documentaries including Miss Representation (Oprah Winfrey Network), “And Then They Came" (George Takei), “Agents of Change” (Danny Glover), and “Waging Change” (Jane Fonda).

Lyons’s first short film stars actor Mahershala Ali, and won best film at the Link TV One Nation, Many Voices Muslim American Film Competition. Joslyn produced and directed Imagine Justice with Common for his Imagine Justice organization, which is dedicated to empowering communities and fighting injustice.

Her short film Looking Glass, starring Jallal which was invited to premiere at Sundance London, screening at the Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival, and picked up numerous awards at film festivals including The American Film Awards, and Top Shorts Best Female Director. Lyons picked up Best Director award at the 7th edition of LA Ind. Women Film Awards for her short film starring Hill Harper and J. Alphonse Nicholson.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited Lyons to be a Guest Panelist for their Academy Gold. Joslyn is a 2022 top six Academy Gold Fellowship for Women Finalist, from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

As noted in Variety in August 2022, Lyons is the Director on the Showtime documentary feature based on the life of basketball star Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, entitled “Stand.” The documentary premiered in early 2023 and was nominated for "Best Outstanding Long Sports Documentary" in the 2024 Emmy's.

Lyons is a member of the Alliance of Women Directors.

Awards

 * Outstanding Documentary Truth to Power NAACP Image Awards
 * Best Music Documentary New York International Independent Film & Video Festival
 * Best Female Director, TopShorts
 * Best Short film, American Film Awards
 * NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Documentary
 * Best Director, 7th edition of LA Independent Women Film Awards, starring Hill Harper and J. Alphonse Nicholson.
 * 2022 Academy Gold Fellowship for Women Finalist, The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.