Antonio Diaz sitting inside a vintage vehicle, smiling and looking to the side. He is wearing a baseball cap, a bandana around his neck, and a dark shirt.

antonio diaz is an emmy award–winning filmmaker and journalist whose work explores culture, identity, and history through deeply reported documentary storytelling. he is the founder of life & thyme, a transnational media platform recognized for its cinematic approach to food journalism and its focus on social, political, and cultural narratives across the globe.

as a director, cinematographer, and producer, antonio has led acclaimed documentary series including the migrant kitchen, broken bread with roy choi, rebel kitchens, and art happens here with john lithgow. his work centers on people and communities often overlooked, using food not as an end in itself, but as a lens to examine migration, labor, heritage, and belonging. alongside his filmmaking, antonio has guest lectured at usc annenberg and has hosted and moderated dozens of public conversations with chefs, artists, and cultural leaders.

antonio also runs barnyard, a creative agency and production company focused on commercial and branded content. he is the host of unplated with antonio diaz, a long-form podcast featuring in-depth conversations with chefs, founders, and thinkers about the personal journeys and cultural forces that shape their work. born and raised in los angeles, with roots in mexico, his perspective is informed by the city’s cultural hybridity and its role as a global crossroad.

elsewhere:
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awards & recognition

2025 Los Angeles Area Emmy Award
”Rebel Kitchens Southern California”

67th Southern California Journalism Awards
2025 L.A. Press Club — Immigration Reporting
”Rebel Kitchens Southern California”

67th Southern California Journalism Awards
2025 L.A. Press Club — Education Reporting
”Art Happens Here with John Lithgow”

2023 Los Angeles Area Emmy Award
”Broken Bread: Owning the Block”

2023 Los Angeles Area Emmy Award
”Broken Bread: Food As Resistance”

2023 Los Angeles Area Emmy Award
”The Migrant Kitchen (S4)”

2018 Los Angeles Area Emmy Award
”The Migrant Kitchen: Louis & Jazz”

2017 Los Angeles Area Emmy Award
”The Migrant Kitchen: Alta California”

2016 Los Angeles Area Emmy Award
”The Migrant Kitchen 1-Hour Special”

61st Southern California Journalism Awards
2019 L.A. Press Club — Lifestyle Feature
”The Migrant Kitchen: The Jewish Deli”

60th Southern California Journalism Awards
2018 L.A. Press Club — Best Television/Film Documentary
”The Migrant Kitchen: 1-Hour Special”

2017 James Beard Award Nominee
Visual and Technical Excellence
”The Migrant Kitchen”

2018 James Beard Award Nominee
Television Program, on Location
”The Migrant Kitchen”

2019 James Beard Award Nominee
Television Program, on Location

”The Migrant Kitchen”