Nina Niknafs lives and works in Berlin. As a child, she was a member of the Young Ensemble at the Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus and the Young Ensemble at Tanzhaus NRW. There, she received training in classical and contemporary dance during her school years, preparing her for a dance degree, but ultimately chose theater. From 2014 to 2018, Nina Niknafs studied acting in Munich and at the Stella Adler Academy in Los Angeles, and during this time, she was also a member of the Young Ensemble at the Bavarian State Theater. In 2016, she was invited to the Berlin Festspiele with the dance theater ensemble Lab Now!

Since 2024, she has played the lead role of Ismene in the German-Swedish co-production “Antigones Vermächtnis“ at the Young State Theater Berlin directed by Farnaz Arbabi. The play was awarded the 2025 IKARUS Prize for Best Youth Theater Production. Starting in 2025, she will also take on the role of Mahtab in the world premiere of “Das Mondmädchen“ at the Konzert & Theater St. Gallen – her first leading singing role.

The film "Sinkflug" by Hoang Quynh Nguyen is nominated for the 2026 Max Ophüls Prize.