Malia Obama is bringing her short film The Heart to Sundance. The project is screening as part of the U.S. short fiction films at the Park City, Utah, festival.
Obama, who is credited as Malia Ann, wrote and directed the project, which is about a grieving son, whose mother left him an unusual request in her will. It debuted Wednesday and will screen throughout the week.
“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,” said Obama in a video. “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.”
The Heart was previously screened at Telluride, as well as the Chicago International Film Festival, where it was recognized in the best live action short category. Obama previously worked as a writer on the Donald Glover-produced limited series The Swarm.
The daughter of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama was a topic of conversation earlier in the day at Sundance, when Blumhouse’s Jason Blum recalled his own festival highlights, from screening Whiplash to debuting the Oscar-winning film Get Out.
“And the first ever screening with a public audience was here at the Library,” said Blum at the annual Sundance Scoop press conference. “And people went crazy and [Barack Obama’s] daughter was in the audience — that was amazing. That’s what started the whole thing.”
