Hanelle M. Culpepper

Included as one of Indiewire’s TV directors to know, Hanelle, an energetic and unflappable director, has credits ranging from superhero action adventures to thrillers to genre films to character-driven dramas. As director of the Star Trek: Picard pilot, Hanelle became the first woman to launch a new Star Trek series in its 53-year history. In 2021 she won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing for her work on the episode. In 2022, she was nominated for her work on Netflix’s True Story starring Kevin Hart and Wesley Snipes, and again in 2023 for The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey starring Samuel L. Jackson.

Her recent work includes Star Wars: The Acolyte and the pilot for Neil Gaiman’s Amazon series Anansi Boys. In 2020, she co-executive produced and directed the pilot for the Berlanti produced CW drama Kung Fu, which ran for three seasons. Up next, Hanelle will direct a block for Dan Fogelman's new Hulu series Paradise City, starring Sterling K Brown. She is also attached to direct the feature film 1000 Miles starring Shamier Anderson (produced by Zucker Productions and Castle Rock), as well as a feature adaptation of the bestselling YA novel Amari and the Night Brothers for Universal Studios, (produced by Hidden Pictures, Don Cheadle's production company This Radicle Act, and Marsai Martin's Genius Entertainment).

Hanelle earned her B.A. from Lake Forest College and her M.A. from USC’s Annenberg School. After working as the assistant for Oscar-winning screenwriter/director Callie Khouri, she completed AFI’s prestigious Directing Workshop for Women, which launched her as a director to watch. Her short A Single Rose won numerous awards and screened at film festivals worldwide, including the 2004 ICG Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival.

A Single Rose plus Hanelle’s viral short film spoof Six and the City, led to her first feature, the supernatural thriller Within, starring Mia Ford, Sammi Hanratty, Sam Jaeger, Lori Heuring, Brent Sexton, and featuring Aisha Hinds. The film won Outstanding Feature Film at the Big Bear Horror Film Festival and had its television premiere on Lifetime. Over the next several years, Hanelle helmed multiple thrillers, including Murder on the 13th Floor starring Tessa Thompson.

Hanelle’s television career took off after NBC Universal’s Directing Initiative led to directing an episode of Parenthood. Her diverse television work includes Star Wars, Westworld, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, True Story, Counterpart, Mayans M.C., Criminal Minds, Grimm, American Crime, The Flash, Gotham, S.W.A.T., Star Trek: Discovery and NOS4A2. In 2019, she was selected for the inaugural class of ReFrame and earned Variety’s 2019 Inclusion Impact Honor.

Hanelle proudly serves on the TV Academy’s Director Peer Group Executive Committee, and as an alternate for the DGA’s National Board and Western Directors Council. Hanelle is represented by Verve Talent Agency. Her manager is Adesuwa McCalla at Metamorphic Entertainment and her lawyer is Matthew Wallerstein of Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof + Fishman.

EPISODIC TELEVISION

2024     Paradise City - Ep. 106 – HULU

2024     Paradise City - Ep. 105 – HULU

2024     S.W.A.T. – Ep. 706 – CBS

2024     Star Wars: The Acolyte – Ep. 108 – Disney+

2024     Star Wars: The Acolyte – Ep. 106 – Disney+

2022     Anansi Boys -- Ep. 103 -- Amazon 

2022     Anansi Boys -- Pilot -- Amazon 

2022     The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey -- Ep. 106 -- Apple+ 

2022     The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey -- Ep. 106 -- Apple+ 

2021     Westworld -- Ep. 403 -- HBO

2021     True Story -- Ep. 107 -- Netflix

2021     True Story -- Ep. 106-- Netflix

2021     True Story -- Ep. 105 -- Netflix

2021     True Story -- Ep. 104 -- Netflix

2021     Kung Fu -- Ep. 102 -- CW

2020     Kung Fu -- Pilot -- CW

2020     Big Sky -- Ep. Ep.108 -- ABC

2019     SWAT -- Ep. 314 -- CBS

2019     NOS4A2 -- Ep. 205 -- AMC

2019     NOS4A2 -- Ep. 206 -- AMC

2019     Star Trek:  Discovery -- Ep. 304 -- CBS All Access

2019     Sorry For Your Loss -- Ep. 204 -- Facebook Watch

2019     Star Trek:  Picard -- Ep. 102B -- CBS All Access

2019     Star Trek:  Picard -- Ep. 102A -- CBS All Access

2019     Star Trek:  Picard -- Pilot -- CBS All Access

2018     NOS4A2 -- Ep. 109 -- AMC

2018     Star Trek: Discovery -- Ep. 210 -- CBS

2018     Counterpart -- Ep. 208 -- Starz

2018     Counterpart -- Ep. 207  -- Starz

2018     Mayans MC -- Ep. 104 -- FX

2018     Shooter -- Ep. 309 -- USA

2018     Supergirl -- Ep. 320 -- CW

2018     The Flash -- Ep. 418 -- CW

2018     SWAT -- Ep. 114 -- CBS

2018     Lucifer -- Ep. 318 -- FOX

2017     Gotham -- Ep. 412 -- FOX

2017     The Crossing -- Ep. 106 -- ABC

2017     Star Trek: Discovery -- Ep. 112 -- CBS

2017     Shooter -- Ep. 209 -- USA

2017     Ten Days in the Valley -- Ep. 109 -- ABC

2017     UnREAL -- Ep. 307 -- Lifetime

2017     The Flash -- Ep. 320 -- CW

2017     Rosewood -- Ep. 217 -- FOX

2017     How To Get Away With Murder -- Ep. 313 -- ABC

2016     The Originals -- Ep. 411 -- CW

2016     Gotham -- Ep. 310 -- FOX

2016     Quantico -- Ep. 206 -- ABC

2016     Empire -- Ep. 304 -- FOX

2016     Mistresses -- Ep. 412 -- ABC

2016     Mistresses -- Ep. 411  -- ABC

2016     American Gothic -- Ep. 105 -- CBS

2016     Castle -- Ep. 820 -- ABC

2016     The Originals -- Ep. 316 -- CW

2016     The Flash -- Ep. 215 -- CW

2015     Criminal Minds -- Ep. 1113 -- CBS

2015     Castle -- Ep. 809 --  ABC

2015     Sleepy Hollow -- Ep. 307 --  FOX

2015     Hawaii 5-0 -- Ep. 607 --  CBS

2015     Grimm -- Ep. 504 --  NBC

2015     Stalker -- Ep.  119 -- - CBS

2015     Criminal Minds  -- Ep. 1019 --  CBS

2015     Criminal Minds -- Ep. 1017 --  CBS

2014     Grimm -- Ep. 409 -- NBC

2014     Revenge -- Ep. 407-- Director -- ABC

2014     American Crime -- Ep. 105 -- ABC

2014     Criminal Minds -- Ep. 919 -- CBS

2012     Parenthood -- Ep. 411  -- NBC

2012     90210 -- Ep. 504 -- CBS Prods/CW

2005     Guilty or Innocent? -- Ep. 115 r -- Discovery Channel

FEATURES/OTHER

2013     Hunt for the Labyrinth Killer -- Director -- Jorva Prods/Lifetime MOW

2012     Murder on the 13th Floor -- Director -- Jorva Prods./Lifetime MOW

2011     Deadly Sibling Rivalry -- Director -- Seven Palms/Lifetime MOW

2008     Within -- Director/Producer -- Bigfoot Ent./Lifetime Acquisition

2006     The Aunties -- Director/Writer/Producer -- UCLA Educational Video

2005     Leila -- Co-Writer -- Indie Short Feature

2004     Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles -- Director/Producer -- PSA series

2003     A Single Rose  --  Director/Writer -- AFI/DWW Short

2003     Six and the City  -- Director -- Indie Short Feature

2001     The Wedding Dress -- Director/Writer -- Indie Short Feature

EDUCATION

M.A.      University of Southern California, Annenberg

B.A.       Lake Forest College

American Film Institute, Directing Workshop for Women

AWARDS

Numerous film festival awards; see individual films on my website at www.hanelleculpepper.com for list.