IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Malia Obama Premieres First Film ‘The Heart’ at Sundance

The former president’s daughter also made her first red carpet appearance.

Malia Obama made her red carpet debut at the Sundance Film Festival Thursday with the premiere of her new short The Heart. The elder daughter of former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama wrote and directed the movie, which was shown at the event in Utah as part of the Short Film Program. Malia, 25, submitted the project using the name “Malia Ann,” using her middle name. According to the Sundance website, The Heart is about a lonely man grieving the death of his mother after she leaves him an unusual request in her will. In a “Meet the Artist” video released ahead of the festival, Malia said she hoped the film would make viewers “feel a bit less lonely” or remind them “not to forget about the people who are.”