If you thought Malia Obama was just Barack and Michelle’s eldest daughter—think again! She’s also an emerging TV/film creative who just debuted her first short film at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Going under the moniker of “Malia Ann,” our Forever First Daughter was present in Park City, Utah on Thursday to kick off the annual festival and premiere her short film, “The Heart,” which she wrote and directed. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the film previously screened at Telluride and the Chicago International Film Festival, the latter in which it was recognized in the Best Live Action Short category.
“This is an odd little story, somewhat of a fable about a man grieving the death of his mother after she leaves him an unusual request in her will,” she explained in a video statement alongside stills of the 18-minute feature. “The film is about lost objects and lonely people and forgiveness and regret, but I also think it works hard to uncover where tenderness and closeness can exist in these things. We hope you enjoy the film and it makes you feel a bit less lonely, or at least reminds you not to forget about the people who are.”
If her foray into film feels a bit out of left field, it shouldn’t. This is the same “Malia Ann” whose parents left the Oval Office launched a production company (looking at you Higher Ground) to help uplift diverse stories and storytellers.
This is also the same “Malia Ann” who helped write one of the craziest episodes of the popular Donald Glover/Janine Nabers-created series, “Swarm,” last year. Both of the shows creators praised her for her creativity she brought to the show.
“Some of her pitches were wild as hell, and they were just so good and so fun,” Nabers told Entertainment Weekly. “She’s an incredible writer. She brought a lot to the table. She’s really, really dedicated to her craft.”
Added Glover of Malia Ann in an interview with Vanity Fair at the time: “She’s just like, an amazingly talented person. She’s really focused and she’s working really hard. I feel like she’s just somebody who’s gonna have really good things coming soon.”
Watch out world, Malia Ann is grown now—and she’s about to take Hollywood by storm!