Malia Obama is following in the footsteps of her parents, but not in the way you might imagine.
The former first daughter debuted her short film “The Heart” at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Thursday, appearing on the festival red carpet to herald the project.
In a meet the artist” clip from the Sundance Institute on YouTube, Obama, whose last name is not included on the video page, describes the short (which she wrote and directed) as an “odd little story, somewhat of a fable” about a man grieving the loss of his mother after receiving an “unusual” request from her in her will.
Additionally, the rising filmmaker acknowledged the team who helped her create the movie. “The folks who came together to make this film have my heart, pun intended, and I’m incredibly grateful to them for giving this story life, and we are grateful to Sundance for allowing us to share it with you all.
After that, Obama shared that she hopes people “enjoy the film and that it makes you feel a bit less lonely or at least reminds you not to forget about the people who are.
The film is currently nominated for the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the festival. In addition, it won Best Live Action Short at the Chicago International Film Festival in 2023.
In 2018, Obama’s parents inked a development deal between their company Higher Ground Productions and Netflix, which has yielded several projects, including last month’s thriller “Leave the World Behind, starring Oscar-winning actors Mahershala Ali and Julia Roberts.
