Mike Palafox is a Mexican-American filmmaker, director, cinematographer, food obsessive, and unapologetic glutton. If his career seems destined to unite film and food, it's because both have been part of his life from the very beginning.
As a child, Mike spent countless hours in his Andalusian grandmother's kitchen, developing a lifelong fascination with food, flavors, and the stories people tell around the table. Ironically, he spent those same years trying to avoid the world of filmmaking. The son of commercial directors, he often accompanied his parents to film sets and swore he wanted nothing to do with the business. Eventually, film won.
After studying filmmaking in London, Mike built a career in advertising, where he gradually found himself drawn back to food and beverage storytelling. Today, he is recognized for combining storytelling, technical precision, and a deep understanding of food culture to create visually striking work for some of the world's most recognizable brands, including McDonald's, PepsiCo, Heineken, Coca-Cola, Kraft, Nestlé, Heinz, Corona, The Macallan, ALDI, Denny's, and Hellmann's.
Beyond commercial work, Mike is the creator and director of Al Chile, a ViX Original docuseries exploring the cultural, historical, and emotional significance of chili peppers across Mexico and beyond. The series earned a nomination for a 2026 James Beard Media Award in the Docuseries Visual Media category and won a Taste Award for Best Latin American Television Series. His work has also been recognized with Webby Awards and a Promax Silver Award.
Beyond directing, Mike is also an accomplished cinematographer. He recently served as Director of Photography on Epic Food Journeys with Mark Wiens for National Geographic, bringing his visual approach to a global audience through one of the world's most recognized documentary brands.
A nomadic soul, Mike has lived in Mexico City, New York, Washington D.C., Barcelona, Paris, London, and Cairo, experiences that have shaped his global perspective and storytelling sensibilities. Whether directing talent-driven commercials, crafting intricate tabletop sequences, or shooting documentary stories, he approaches every project with the curiosity of a traveler and the eye of a filmmaker.
When he's not on set, Mike is usually searching for his next great meal. You are just as likely to find him at a Michelin starred restaurant as you are at a holw in the wall taco stand. As long as the food is good, he's happy.
