Malia Obama made her directorial debut at Sundance 2024
19 june 2026 в 20:13
Malia Ann Obama has established herself as a director! The 27-year-old daughter of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama caught attention in 2024 when she presented her short film at the Sundance Film Festival. Her decision to forgo the famous surname at the event sparked lively discussions on social media and in the industry. While some were surprised by the young star’s rare appearance on the red carpet, she has been building a career in Hollywood for several years.
Learn more about Malia’s rising career below!
According to Malia’s IMDb profile, she is a Harvard graduate, screenwriter, and director. Her first notable writing credit was for her work on Donald Glover’s series «Swarm» in 2023, where she wrote scripts for seven episodes. According to showrunner Janine Nabers, some of Malia’s creative suggestions were «wildly good and funny. She is an incredible writer. She brought a lot to the project… She is truly dedicated to her craft».
After that, she wrote her short film «Heart», - which debuted at Sundance in early 2024 in Park City, Utah.
In her presentation at Sundance, Malia described her film as a story «about lost things, lonely people, forgiveness, and regret, but I also think it tries to reveal where tenderness and closeness can exist within those things. We hope you enjoy the film and that it makes you feel a little less alone, or at least reminds you not to forget about those who are lonely».
In the film «Heart», - Malia is credited as «Malia Ann» rather than Obama. Her choice to leave the family surname behind sparked a storm among critics, who labeled her «not very baby». However, some celebrities came to Malia’s defense, including «The View» host Whoopi Goldberg.
«If she knows she’s an Obama, why does it matter to you?» Whoopi asked the dissatisfied during one episode of her talk show. «Why does it matter how she identifies herself? If she wants to call herself Jeanette MacDonald, she has the right to! If I can be Whoopi Goldberg, she can be whoever she wants to be».
The «Color Purple» star added, «Why does this trigger people so much? Why do they spend time on it? She’s an adult woman. She’s not thinking about her parents… Leave this girl alone. Leave her alone».
Michelle and Barack have yet to comment on the criticism their daughter received for dropping the surname as a director. Nevertheless, proud parents have spoken about their children—Malia and Sasha—over the years.
During a conversation in 2023 on her podcast «The Light Podcast», - Michelle shared how her communication with her children has changed.
«I'm transitioning from being a mom to being an advisor», - she said. «It's wonderful to watch my girls take flight and feel relief in thinking, 'Okay, I don’t seem to have messed them up.'»
Learn more about Malia’s rising career below!
According to Malia’s IMDb profile, she is a Harvard graduate, screenwriter, and director. Her first notable writing credit was for her work on Donald Glover’s series «Swarm» in 2023, where she wrote scripts for seven episodes. According to showrunner Janine Nabers, some of Malia’s creative suggestions were «wildly good and funny. She is an incredible writer. She brought a lot to the project… She is truly dedicated to her craft».
After that, she wrote her short film «Heart», - which debuted at Sundance in early 2024 in Park City, Utah.
In her presentation at Sundance, Malia described her film as a story «about lost things, lonely people, forgiveness, and regret, but I also think it tries to reveal where tenderness and closeness can exist within those things. We hope you enjoy the film and that it makes you feel a little less alone, or at least reminds you not to forget about those who are lonely».
In the film «Heart», - Malia is credited as «Malia Ann» rather than Obama. Her choice to leave the family surname behind sparked a storm among critics, who labeled her «not very baby». However, some celebrities came to Malia’s defense, including «The View» host Whoopi Goldberg.
«If she knows she’s an Obama, why does it matter to you?» Whoopi asked the dissatisfied during one episode of her talk show. «Why does it matter how she identifies herself? If she wants to call herself Jeanette MacDonald, she has the right to! If I can be Whoopi Goldberg, she can be whoever she wants to be».
The «Color Purple» star added, «Why does this trigger people so much? Why do they spend time on it? She’s an adult woman. She’s not thinking about her parents… Leave this girl alone. Leave her alone».
Michelle and Barack have yet to comment on the criticism their daughter received for dropping the surname as a director. Nevertheless, proud parents have spoken about their children—Malia and Sasha—over the years.
During a conversation in 2023 on her podcast «The Light Podcast», - Michelle shared how her communication with her children has changed.
«I'm transitioning from being a mom to being an advisor», - she said. «It's wonderful to watch my girls take flight and feel relief in thinking, 'Okay, I don’t seem to have messed them up.'»
© Artemenko Olga
