Nicolas Diaz-Magaloni is a Mexican-American storyteller, filmmaker and journalist based between Mexico City and California. A graduate of the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, Diaz-Magaloni earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Media Arts + Practice with a focus on documentary filmmaking. 

He has worked with the Los Angeles Times and produced compelling visual narratives for institutions like the Los Angeles Natural History Museum, contributing to its Sacrifice Zones exhibit, which highlights environmental challenges in underserved communities. His storytelling has earned a Student BAFTA nomination, the NFFTY Latine Social Impact Filmmaker Grant, and the Amazon MGM Studios Future Cinema Creator Grant.

He was chosen as a 2025 National Geographic Young Explorer.  The National Geographic Society’s Young Explorer Program recognizes and invests in exceptional changemakers aged 18–25 who demonstrate courage, leadership, and a commitment to creating positive change. Each year, 15 emerging leaders across the Society’s key focus areas are selected to join this prestigious program. 

He was selected for the Washington Post’s inaugural Press Freedom Desk, an initiative that aims to “empower the next generation of news voices—especially where reliable information is most at risk.”

His work examines illegal logging in Michoacán, environmental degradation in Long Beach, protection of the Gulf of California, and the personal experiences of migrant communities. He also engages with magical realism, poetic cinema, and art made through collective action for social change.