Francesco Vitali
Francesco Vitali is a Greek-American business advisor, branding strategist, film executive producer, director, writer, and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. He is known for co-founding and managing the international short-film competition 48FILM Project, as well as co-founding Rent A Cyber Friend, a digital platform focused on real-time human-to-human interaction.
Life and work
Early Career in Media and Entertainment
Francesco Vitali was born in Athens and raised in Piraeus. His father's family came from Italy.He began his journalism career at a young age, eventually becoming Editor-in-Chief for the Greek editions of several major international publications. He also founded a talent management company in Greece, representing many of the country’s top celebrities before moving to New York City in 1996 to pursue opportunities as an actor, writer, and producer.
After relocating to Los Angeles, Vitali became the Artistic Director of the historic Tamarind Theater in Hollywood, where he directed and starred in several productions, including Hamlet and Harold Pinter's Ashes to Ashes under the direction of Di Trevis. During this time, he was cast by George Clooney in the HBO series Unscripted, appearing in episodes 1.3 and 1.4. In 2004, after his final performances, Vitali retired from acting to fully transition into entrepreneurship and executive production.
48FILM Project and Creative Ventures
In 2008, Vitali co-founded the online film festival 48 Go Green with Chris Siametis. Initially launched in Cyprus, the project attracted over 300 entries within its first month. It later evolved into the 48FILM Project, a global competition where filmmakers create short films in just 48 hours.The initiative expanded into the 48 Music Project, where musicians composed and submitted original songs in 48 hours. The project was endorsed by Sony Music and featured composer Dimitra Galani as jury president.
By 2016, over 75,000 filmmakers from 130 countries had participated in the 48FILM Project. Finalist films were screened at the Directors Guild of America.
He also announced the production of Gates of Hades, a psychological thriller inspired by the myth of Persephone.
Business strategy and entrepreneurial career
Since the early 2000s, Vitali has maintained a parallel career in business strategy and brand development, advising entertainers, entrepreneurs, and companies in Europe and the United States on publicity, market positioning, and communications strategy.Over the course of his career, Vitali has collaborated with several public figures. In interviews he has described a longstanding advisory relationship with the late Ivana Trump, providing guidance on branding and public representation for many years.
In 2023, Vitali released Message for Success, a motivational business book presenting daily reflections on leadership, communication, and professional resilience.
Vitali is also the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rent A Cyber Friend, an online platform where users pay by the minute for real-time video conversations with independent “cyber friends.” The service has attracted international media attention and was presented at TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield.