Documentary filmmaker Nico Ballesteros is set to make his feature directorial debut with Kanye West's upcoming documentary, In Whose Name?. The film is scheduled for release across 1,000 screens in collaboration with Regal, AMC, and Cinemark on September 19, 2025.According to an exclusive report on Deadline, published on August 13, the documentary will follow six years of Kanye West's career, focusing on his bipolar disorder, his divorce from Kim Kardashian, and his disturbing remarks.An aspiring filmmaker from Orange County, California, Nico Ballesteros was reportedly 18 years old when he began following Kanye West with his camera and documented over 3,000 hours worth of footage for the documentary. In a recent statement, Ballesteros said he began documenting his own life when he was a kid, adding:“For a shy kid, the camera became both a shield and a window, a way to channel my introspection while still engaging with the world. Ye has always had someone filming him too, a lens between him and the noise ... I was able to fade into the background ... the camera always rolling, catching moments outside the public performance.”Nico Ballesteros has directed music videos for other rappersNico Ballesteros (Image via Instagram/@nico.ballesteros)In his 2021 interview with 032c, Nico Ballesteros, then 21, said he picked up a camera and began documenting the world when he was seven. At the age of 12, the Orange County native began traveling to Los Angeles to visit studios, and later, he attended an "art-focused high school" to learn the basics.Ballesteros also said he began shadowing Kanye West at age 18 in 2018, adding that no one knew his name for a year or two as he spent all his time filming the rapper. A Stanley Kubrick fan, Ballesteros added that he spent 15 to 20 hours shooting, which was mainly on his iPhone.StereoBuzz @StereoBuzzXLINKA new ‘In Whose Name?’ teaser shows Ye revealing he’s been off his meds for 5 months. Filmed over 6 years from 3,000+ hours of footage by Nico Ballesteros, who began filming Ye at 18. It offers an unfiltered look at his mental health, family tensions &life beyond the spotlightHe described his relationship with the rapper as a "mentorship of world building." He also addressed his preference to stay out of the limelight, saying:"Oh, I absolutely love being out of frame. I’m here for the information, not for the validation. I operate best in the unknown ... So how am I supposed to brand myself? Identity is a whole new exploration for our generation ... This persona – I didn’t make it purposefully, I was just working."According to his IMDb profile, Nicolas (Nico) Ballesteros founded his film production company, NB Studios Incorporated, in 2020. He has previously worked with Kanye West on various projects, including Ye's 2019 music short film Jesus Is King as an assistant director. Ballesteros has also directed various music videos, including M3tamorphosis for Playboi Carti and Can't Relate for Gunna.Not much information is known about Nico Ballesteros's personal life.Everything to know about Kanye West's upcoming documentaryThe teaser for Ye's forthcoming documentary, In Whose Name?, was released on August 12, 2025. The teaser, which showed glimpses of Kanye West's relationship to Kim Kardashian, begins with the Monster rapper saying, “I’m off my meds for five months now."In one clip, an emotional Kardashian is heard saying, “Your personality was not like this a few years ago!” The trailer is interspersed with clips of West with his and Kardashian's children. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the documentary's synopsis stated that director Nico Ballesteros "bore witness" to Kanye West's "brilliance and breakdowns, triumphs and turmoil," while also catching glimpses of the "paranoia and intensity that increasingly shaped Ye’s world.""What began as silent observation evolved into a profound journey of artistic and personal growth ... In the end, Ballesteros captured not just a portrait of Ye, but a reflection of the human condition in all its contradictions," the synopsis added.Kurrco @KurrcoLINK▫️ Follows six years in Ye’s life, from music and fashion success to personal and public struggles.▫️ Shot by Nicolas Ballesteros during 15-hour days, totaling 3,000 hours of footage.▫️ Captures Ye dealing with bipolar disorder, a collapsing marriage, lost sponsorships, and growing backlash.▫️ Shows Ye’s brilliance, breakdowns, paranoia, and intense creative process.▫️ Features moments discussing mental health and its impact on identity and power.▫️ Includes a return to his childhood home in Chicago, reflecting on roots, grief, and family.▫️ Reveals dynamics inside Ye’s circle: loyal friends, opportunists, and icons.The documentary reportedly captured moments of Kanye West speaking "candidly about living with bipolar disorder, offering rare insight into the realities of mental illness and its impact on identity, perception, and power."Meanwhile, producer Simran A. Singh added that the documentary is set to offer fans a "raw and often unsettling portrait" of the rapper without any "commentary or conclusion" to help viewers "interpret the events for themselves."“There was no agenda, no filter; just real, raw moments. Because of that, there’s a level of honesty you don’t usually get in documentaries. As things started to take shape, it became clear that Nico was the only one who could truly tell this story ... He was inside the chaos but somehow still able to step back and find the story to make a movie," Singh continued.In addition to directing, Nico Ballesteros also edited and produced In Whose Name?.