Michelle Obama celebrates teen filmmaker, 14-year-old Kalia Love.
“I want to share the story of a talented young filmmaker who recently inspired me. Kalia Love Jones is a 14-year-old from Los Angeles with a passion for storytelling. Last year, she wrote, directed, and helped produce her first animated short film, @ThePowerOfHopeFilm,” the former First Lady wrote on Instagram.
Obama went on to summarize the short. “It tells the story of a young girl aspiring to become an architect. Despite experiencing a tragic loss, she’s able to persevere and pursue her dreams—it’s a beautiful film with an important message. Kalia worked hard to get it done. She practiced drawing and studied films—she even saved up money to pay for it by recycling over the years. Her goal is to inspire girls everywhere to “achieve greatness by carrying hope and believing in themselves.”
The former First Lady concluded, “Many of us might look at our age and think that we’re either too young or too old to accomplish some of our goals. What I love about Kalia’s story is that she didn’t listen to the voices that can sometimes leave seeds of doubt. With hard work and the support of her parents, she is working every day to follow her passions and accomplish her dreams. Kalia, I’m so proud of you and can’t wait to see what you achieve in the months and years ahead.”
The short film, The Power of Hope, was originally inspired by a Michelle Obama speech. The film is not only nominated for a 2021 NAACP Image Award in the Motion Picture category of Outstanding Short Form (Animated), it has also qualified for the Academy Awards. With this nomination, Love has made history as the youngest filmmaker nominated for an NAACP Image Award.
Congratulations, Kalia! We cannot wait to see what amazing things are well on the horizon.
