Jussie Smollett Back to Work After Alleged Attack, Directing Film

It's lights, camera, action for Jussie Smollett ... he's back to work after the alleged attack in Chicago, but this time he's behind the camera.

The former "Empire" star has a new showbiz gig after allegedly staging a hate crime last year ... and in what could be the future for Jussie, he's taking a shot at directing instead of acting.

Jussie's got a full cast and crew behind him in New York City, where he's directing the film adaptation of "B-Boy Blues."

As you can see, Jussie looks super focused ... getting hands-on with the cast, which stars Ledisi, Brandon Evans and Broderick Hunter.

Jussie pulled down his face-covering to give a few directions and watched intently behind the camera with a huge pair of headphones and some Starbucks to keep the creative juices flowing. Seems he's taking a liking to directing.

While many in the industry assumed he would never work again after the "attack," Jussie's proving a comeback's almost always possible ... it just requires some evolving, and a hit doesn't hurt either.

For his part, Jussie still insists the "attack" was not a hoax, and says he has new evidence to back it up. He'll get a chance to present because he's still facing criminal charges and a civil lawsuit from the City of Chicago.