Ali Selim has been an advertising commercial director since 1989, during which time he has directed over 850 television commercials.
 
In recognition of his commercial work, Selim has received the Gold Lion—advertising’s most coveted award—from Cannes Advertising Film Festival and a Gold Award from D&AD (British Design and Art Directors organization).
 
His work resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Ad Week magazine lists him in the top 1% of most sought after directors in the country.
 
SWEET LAND was the first film written and directed by Selim. The script for SWEET LAND was the only screenplay selected for the inaugural year of the Cyngus Emerging Filmmakers Institute and was produced in 2005 starring Alan Cumming, Ned Beatty, John Heard, Alex Kingston, Lois Smith and Paul Sand, and featuring Elizabeth Reiser and Tim Guinee.
 
SWEET LAND received the 2005 Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature Film at the 13th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival, and won six additional Audience Awards and three Best First Film Awards at other leading film festivals in the United States.  The film was awarded the 2007 Film Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature. SWEET LAND was also named one of the Ten Best Films of 2006 by over a dozen critics, including the Los Angeles Times and Entertainment Weekly. Additionally, Selim partnered with distribution legend, Jeff Lipsky to design and execute the distribution of SWEET LAND.
 
The Minneapolis Star Tribune named Ali Selim the 2006 Minnesota Artist of the Year.
 
Selim also works as an episodic television director for shows such as HBO’s acclaimed series IN TREATMENT and CBS’ long running CRIMINAL MINDS.  Additionally, he is in production on a feature-length documentary titled “Trash Dawgs,” which focuses on the history and problem of garbage in America. 
 
Recently, Selim co-authored a screenplay with SWEET LAND star, Tim Guinee which will be produced by Philip Seymour Hoffman, and is currently in development with Debra Winger and Arliss Howard on a television series for Gran Via, producers of BREAKING BAD. 
 
Selim has been active with several civic organizations and currently serves on the Kartemquin Films Board of Directors.  He lives in the Los Angeles area with his family.