Focus
In Conversation with Federico Francioni
Meet Federico Francioni, the Head of the Digital Ecosystem for Meta, the powerhouse behind Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and, more recently, Quest devices and Threads. Born in Arezzo in 1982, Federico has an impressive background in telecommunication engineering. He is a graduate of the prestigious University of Florence. He clinched victory in the Philip Morris International Challenge in 2005 and completed his academic journey in Oulu, Finland. Since 2013, Federico has made California his home, working for PwC, Microsoft, and, [...]
In conversation with Vaun Wilmott
Today's interview opens a series of FOCUS dedicated to US and Italian Audiovisual Industry talents and executives. Our first 'guest' is Vaun Wilmott, showrunner, screenwriter, author, and producer of successes such as Star Trek, Dominion, and Sons of Anarchy. He started as an actor. In 1994, Wilmott appeared in the Beverly Hills 90210 series. Then he became a screenwriter for shows like Star Trek, Discovery, and Sons of Anarchy. Wilmott also wrote the fantasy novel "The Outcast" in 2007. The [...]
Sean and Bryan Furst
Independent movie producers, TV producers, IP hunters, storytelling junkies... and brothers. Those are, in a nutshell, the adjectives describing Sean and Bryan Furst. The Fursts started in the Nineties with such pictures as Miramax's hitman drama "The Matador", which earned Pierce Brosnan a Golden Globe nomination, and Lionsgate's Vegas love story "The Cooler," which earned Alec Baldwin an Oscar nomination. Then, with the market shifting emphasis towards TV, they added another facet to their business and soon produced shows like [...]
In Conversation with Niccolo Messina, Founder of V Channels
Niccolò Messina doesn't love movies, "They put my brain on pause." He doesn't appreciate Hollywood, "It is always behind." Still, Italian entrepreneur Niccolò Messina may hold the key to preserving independent cinema in the streaming age. With his groundbreaking platform, VChannels, he has established a thriving network of 15 YouTube AVOD-specialized media, boasting an impressive 300 million monthly views and a dedicated audience of 120 million. Messina's impact on the industry cannot be ignored. Mario Niccolò Messina came to Hollywood [...]
