<PAGE>
                                                                    EXHIBIT 31.1


                                  CERTIFICATION


I, John F. Fisbeck, Chief Executive Officer, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Fortune Industries,
   Inc.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this quarterly report does not contain any untrue
   statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to
   make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
   statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by
   this quarterly report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
   information included in this quarterly report, fairly present in all material
   respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
   Fortune Industries, Inc. as of, and for, the periods presented in this
   quarterly report;

4. Fortune Industries, Inc.'s other certifying officer and I are responsible for
   establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined
   in Securities Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for Fortune
   Industries, Inc. and have:

         a)designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
           disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
           supervision, to ensure that material information relating to Fortune
           Industries, Inc., including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
           known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the
           period in which this quarterly report is being prepared;

         b)designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused
           such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under
           our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the
           reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial
           statements for external purposes in accordance with generally
           accepted accounting principles;

         c)evaluated the effectiveness of Fortune Industries, Inc.'s disclosure
           controls and procedures and presented in this quarterly report our
           conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
           procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this quarterly
           report based on such evaluation; and

         d)disclosed in this report any change in Fortune Industries, Inc.'s
           internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the
           most recent fiscal quarter (Fortune Industries, Inc.'s fourth fiscal
           quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially
           affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Fortune
           Industries, Inc.'s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. Fortune Industries, Inc.'s other certifying officer and I have disclosed,
   based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
   reporting, to Fortune Industries, Inc.'s auditors and the audit committee of
   Fortune Industries, Inc.'s board of directors (or others performing the
   equivalent functions):

         a)all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
           or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
           reasonably likely to adversely affect Fortune Industries, Inc.'s
           ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
           information; and

         b)any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
           other employees who have a significant role in Fortune Industries,
           Inc.'s internal control over financial reporting.


Date:  July 12, 2006                             By: /s/ John F. Fisbeck
                                                 -----------------------------
                                                 John F. Fisbeck,
                                                 Chief Executive Officer