Malia Obama is rocking a new stage name ahead of her directional debut at the Sundance Film Festival.
The eldest daughter of former US President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama made her red carpet debut on January 18 to celebrate the premiere of her short film titled The Heart at Park City, Utah.
The 25-year-old Harvard graduate penned and directed the forthcoming movie, which is credited under the name Malia Ann, as Ann is her middle name and dropping her Obama surname entirely.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film is about a grieving son, whose mother left him an unusual request in her will.
Have a look at The Heart trailer below:In a YouTube video released on January 17, Malia shared insights about the project, revealing: "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," she added.
The film was previously screened at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado back in Septemeber 2023, as well as the Chicago International Film Festival in October 2023.
Malia studied visual and environmental studies at Harvard University, where she sharpened her interest in filmmaking.
This is not the first time she has tried her hand in the entertainment world, as she previously served as a staff writer on the Amazon Prime Video series, Swarm, which came out in March 2023.
The thriller series, which is about an obsessed fan going to increasingly violent lengths for her favorite R&B musician, starred Dominique Fishback, Billie Eilish, Damson Idris, Chloe Bailey, Rory Culkin, and Paris Jackson.
Janine Nabers, a showrunner on the show, opened up about Malia's involvement in the writing aspect during an interview with Entertainment Tonight and praised her contributions to the project.
"Some of her pitches were wild as hell, and they were just so good and so funny," Nabers said. "She's an incredible writer. She brought a lot to the table… She's really, really dedicated to her craft."
Actor and singer Donald Glover, who starred in The Community and is the creator of the TV show Atlanta, also raved about the former first daughter's talents in a March 2022 interview with Vanity Fair.
The 40-year-old expressed his admiration for her, stating: "I feel like she's just somebody who's gonna have really good things coming soon. Her writing style is great."
It looks like she's making a big impression already!
