Former President Barack Obama's daughter Malia Obama is bringing her directorial debut short film “The Heart” to the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The coming-of-age drama explores themes of grief, loneliness, and forgiveness. It tells the story of a young man who receives an unusual final request in his late mother's will.
Malia wrote and directed the film herself. She previously worked as a writer on Donald Glover's limited series “The Swarm.” “The Heart” has already screened at several prestigious film festivals, including Telluride and the Chicago International Film Festival, where it won best live action short.
Jason Blum, CEO of Blumhouse Productions, shared a memorable Sundance screening story at this year's festival. He recounted that Malia was in the audience for the very first public screening of “Get Out” at Sundance years ago. That screening helped launch the Oscar-winning horror satire into the zeitgeist.
Now Malia brings her own directorial work to Sundance with “The Heart.” The short film plays as part of the U.S. Fiction shorts program, aiming to resonate with audiences through its emotional story about human connection. Malia said she hopes it “makes you feel a bit less lonely.”