Malia Obama reveals pen name

Malia Obama has revealed the pen name she uses in her fledgling screenwriting career.

The former First Daughter made her Sundance Film Festival debut in January, when she premiered her short film, The Heart.

In a video feature about the film, Malia introduces herself as Malia Ann - using her middle name instead of her last name to introduce herself.

The 25-year-old, who has previously worked as a staff writer on Prime Video series Swarm, is reportedly keen to be respected in her own right, rather than using her famous surname to gain credence in her career.

In the video, Malia talked about the film that she wrote and directed.

"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," she said. "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."

Donald Glover worked on the movie as an executive producer.