For general secretary of the Irish Council of Imams

Irish Council of Imams

The Irish Council of Imams is an umbrella organization for all Islamic establishments in Ireland. Its formation was announced in a press-release on September 15, 2006. It represents all 35 imams in Ireland, of both the Sunni and Shia denominations...

, see Ali Selim (Ireland)

Ali Selim is an Arab-American advertising

Advertising

Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...

 and independent film

Independent film

An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...

 director. Over the past fifteen years he has directed over 850 television commercials, five half-hour documentaries and several music videos.

Early life

Ali Selim was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...

 to an Egyptian-born father and a mother of German descent. He attended school at Saint Thomas Academy

Saint Thomas Academy

Saint Thomas Academy , originally known as Saint Thomas Aquinas Seminary, and formerly known as Saint Thomas Military Academy is the only all male, Roman Catholic, college-preparatory, military high school in Minnesota. It is located in Mendota Heights near Saint Paul...

 and the University of Saint Thomas (Minnesota), where his father was a professor of economics.

Film career

His first project, a documentary celebrating the centennial of Saint Thomas Academy, won awards at several international film festivals. Selim formed his own production company (Departure Films) in 1989. He directed a number of award-winning television commercials, including a public service announcement for the YMCA

YMCA

The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...

 which received a Gold Lion

Gold Lion

"Gold Lion" is the first single by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs from their second album, Show Your Bones. Distinct in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' discography, it features acoustic guitar and a more slowed-down pace in contrast to former works like "Bang!" and "Date with the Night." It was released on March 21,...

, advertising’s most coveted award, from Cannes Advertising Film Festival

Cannes Film Festival

The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...

 in 1991. Later that year, Selim was hired by Giraldi/Suarez Productions.

In 1993 Selim wrote, produced and directed Yonnondio, a 15-minute music video in collaboration with Academy Award winning composer Peter Buffett

Peter Buffett

Peter Andrew Buffett is an American musician, composer, author and producer. Buffett is the second son of investor Warren Buffett and his late wife Susan Buffett.-Biography:...

 which was awarded the Silver Hugo from the Chicago International Film Festival

Chicago International Film Festival

The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....

 and a CINE Golden. Selim was an honoree at the AICP Show, “The Art and Technique of the American Television Commercial,” where his work was placed in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art

Museum of Modern Art

The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...

 in New York City.

His narrative film Emperor of the Air (1996), based on Ethan Canin

Ethan Canin

Ethan Andrew Canin is an American author, educator, and physician. He is a member of the faculty of the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa....

’s story of the same name, was awarded the top prize at Worldfest

WorldFest

WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival is an annual film festival, dedicated to various types of independent films, held in Houston, Texas.-History:...

 and the D. L. Mayberry Award. Selim was placed on Advertising Weeklys list of the top 1% most sought-after directors in the United States.

Sweet Land

His script for the film Sweet Land

Sweet Land

Sweet Land is a 2005 American independent period drama film written and directed by Ali Selim. It is an adaptation of the 1989 short story "A Gravestone Made of Wheat" by Will Weaver...

, based on a short story by Will Weaver

Will Weaver

Will Weaver, , is an American author.-Background:Weaver was raised on a dairy farm near Park Rapids, Minnesota, where his parents, who were of Scandinavian descent, farmed 150 acres. In Weaver's youth, he enjoyed fishing and participating in sports...

, was the only screenplay selected for the inaugural year of the Cyngus Emerging Filmmakers Institute. The film, which took him fifteen years to finance, was shot in 2005 around Chippewa County, Minnesota

Chippewa County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 13,088 people, 5,361 households, and 3,597 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile . There were 5,855 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...

. It starred Alan Cumming

Alan Cumming

Alan Cumming, OBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actor, singer, writer, director, producer and author. His roles have included the Emcee in Cabaret, Boris Grishenko in GoldenEye, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in X2: X-Men United, Mr. Elton in Emma, and Fegan Floop in the Spy Kids trilogy...

, Ned Beatty

Ned Beatty

Ned Thomas Beatty is an American actor who has appeared in more than 100 films and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain and a Golden Globe Award; won a Drama Desk Award....

, Elizabeth Reaser

Elizabeth Reaser

Elizabeth Ann Reaser is an American film, television, and stage actress. Her work includes the films Stay, The Family Stone, and The Twilight Saga and the TV series Saved, Grey's Anatomy and The Ex-List....

, Alex Kingston

Alex Kingston

Alexandra Elizabeth "Alex" Kingston is an English actress. She is most widely known for her roles as Dr. Elizabeth Corday on the NBC medical drama ER and as River Song in Doctor Who.-Early life and education:...

 and John Heard. The film was the recipient of the 2005 Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature Film at the 13th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival

Hamptons International Film Festival

Hamptons International Film Festival was founded to provide a forum for independent filmmakers from around the world to express their vision. The Festival is traditionally held for five days in mid-October in theatre venues from Montauk to Southampton and attracts roughly 15,000 visitors annually...

.

Current status

Ali Selim is currently in production on a feature-length documentary, Trash Dawgs, which focuses on the history and problem of garbage in America.