Showtime alum Vinnie Malhotra joins Barack & Michelle Obama prodco Higher Ground Productions

Michelle & Barack Obama

Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions has landed former Showtime exec Vinnie Malhotra to oversee its film & TV division.

Malhotra left Showtime in February having been its EVP of non-fiction programming, working across docs, unscripted and scripted shows based on true events.

He reports directly to the Obamas, but will also work closely with Tonia Davis on film projects. She was previously head of film & TV, but is now overseeing development and production for films.

Malhotra, who previously had stints at CNN Worldwide and ABC News, had been with Showtime for eight years before departing earlier this year, following an overhaul at the Paramount-owned company.

He has credits on shows ranging from We Need To Talk About Crosby and XY Chelsea, to docuseries Couples Therapy and Roger Ailes drama The Loudest Voice.

The Obamas said: “Vinnie has decades of experience bringing bold and compelling stories to life with a consistent blend of creative vision and integrity.”

Higher Ground, which was founded in 2018, has a slate that includes civil rights film Rustin and scripted series Bodkin. Last year it hired SMAC Entertainment exec Ethan Lewis to head up unscripted, following the exit of former head of film & TV Priya Swaminathan a year earlier.