Talk of the Stacks: Ali Selim and Will Weaver - Sweet Land: From Film to Fiction March 28, 2008

In 1989, author Will Weaver received the Minnesota Book Award for Best Fiction for A Gravestone Made of Wheat & Other Stories. Sixteen years later screenwriter and director Ali Selim adapted the title short story from this collection to create the critically acclaimed movie, Sweet Land. Sweet Land received numerous awards including Best Narrative Feature Film at the Hamptons International Film Festival and the Film Independent's Spirit Award for Best First Feature, and it was named one of the Ten Best Films of 2006 by over a dozen critics. Shot on location in Southern Minnesota, Sweet Land is the story of immigrant America, “a visually indelible movie… of extraordinary tenderness (Entertainment Weekly).”

In this unique installment of Talk of the Stacks (moderated by The Rake's Cristina Cordova), Selim and Weaver will discuss fiction writing, film making, and the process of adapting a short story to a feature-length movie.

Will Weaver writes for adults and young adults. His novels and short stories have earned praise from reviewers coast to coast for their unflinching realism. Weaver’s debut novel, Red Earth, White Earth, was produced as a CBS television movie and several of the stories were performed on National Public Radio. Formerly an English professor at Bemidji State University, Weaver was described by the Los Angeles Times as “a writer of uncommon natural talent.”

Saint Paul resident Ali Selim (son of a German-American mother and an Egyptian-born father) has been director of advertising commercials since 1989. Selim has received the Gold Lion, advertising’s most coveted award from Cannes Advertising Film Festival. Ad Week magazine listed Selim in the “top 1% of most sought after directors in the country” and the Star Tribune named him the Minnesota Artist of the Year in 2006.

The Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library and U.S. Trust present Talk of the Stacks, a reading series at the Minneapolis Central Library exploring contemporary literature and culture. Readings are held at the Minneapolis Central Library, Pohlad Hall, 300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis.

The programs are free with open seating to the public. Seats fill quickly. Book sale and signing follow presentations. 612-630-6174 for more info.

Official Website: http://www.friendsofmpl.org/events_home.html