Ali Selim

Ali Selim

Advertising and independent film director

Over the past fifteen years Ali Selim has directed over 850 television commercials, five half-hour documentaries, television shows such as “Hand of God” and “Gracepoint”, and several music videos.

Ali has worked as an advertising commercial director since 1989, during which time he has directed over 850 television commercials for advertisers such as Coca-Cola, Miller Brewing, Chase Financial, Pfizer, Nabisco and Saturn.

In recognition of his commercial work, Selim has received the Gold Lion— advertising’s most coveted award—and a Bronze Lion 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.

SWEET LAND was the first film written and directed by Selim. The film was nominated for two 2007 Film Independent Spirit Awards and won the 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.

In 2010, Selim broke into television with HBO’s IN TREATMENT, working with Gabriel Byrne, Debra Winger and Irfan Khan for several episodes. He has since directed several episodes of television for CBS, FOX, and Amazon.

He recently wrote and directed episodes of the critically acclaimed series THE LOOMING TOWER starring Jeff Daniels, Peter Sarsgaard, and Alec Baldwin which released on Hulu in 2018.