Francesco Gabriele
Francesco Gabriele is a British-Italian film director, producer, and academic. He studied acting at Scuola d'Arte Drammatica 'Teatro Azione' in Rome and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles before completing an MA in Filmmaking at the London Film School, specialising in directing and producing.
In 2014, he founded Thespian Films Ltd, a London-based production company established to highlight the creative role of actors on set. Over the past decade, his films have screened at Oscar and BAFTA-qualifying festivals worldwide and secured international distribution. Among them, his short film 'Italian Miracle' was nominated for Best Comedy and Best International Short at the Oscar and BAFTA Qualifying LA Shorts Fest, and was awarded the Jury Award for Best Short at the Stony Brook Film Festival in New York.
Francesco’s debut feature, the dramedy 'Blue Hollywood', filmed in Los Angeles, premiered at RIFFA in Canada, where it won Best Feature, and had its UK premiere at the BT Tower in London as the Closing Night Film of the BAFTA-qualifying British Urban Film Festival. The film went on to screen internationally across Europe, North America, and Asia, receiving numerous accolades and critical recognition.
In recent years, Francesco has expanded his work into horror and dark comedy, directing award-winning features including 'The Bad Nun 3' and 'Behave', as well as a vertical-format drama series. His creative approach blends performance-centred storytelling with a cinematic style that balances compelling visual and emotional authenticity.
Alongside his directing and producing career, Francesco has extensive experience as an educator and course leader, having taught at the SAE Institute in Oxford, the National Youth Film Academy, and served for seven years as the Screen Acting Programme Lead at St Mary’s University, London. His teaching philosophy integrates professional industry practice into the classroom, preparing students for the evolving demands of screen and media production.
He remains an active filmmaker, regularly developing and directing new projects while contributing to the professional and artistic growth of emerging screen practitioners at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.