International
Ficci Frames makes a comeback with Ficci Frames Fast Track
Mumbai: Ficci Frames Fast Track 2022, a pre-cursor to the Ficci Frames which makes a comeback after the pandemic, is slated to be held on 27 & 28 September in Mumbai.
Ficci Frames, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Ficci), is the country’s biggest international seminar for the media and entertainment industries, which spans across film, television, digital entertainment, animation, gaming and visual effects.
The theme of Ficci Frames Fast Track is the comeback after the pandemic. The two-day long conference will commemorate the industry which underwent the heat of COVID and has only emerged stronger. It seeks to bring the industry back to its feet and is raring to go.
Ficci assistant secretary general and head media & entertainment Leena Jaisani brought forth, “The idea is to bring together the industry under one roof and just celebrate the fact that we have not only survived the pandemic that affected people and industries world over, but also came together during that period to help and support people. Many studios and associations took the responsibility of vaccinating employees and their families.”
As OTT emerged as a very robust player during the pandemic, the focus this year will also be on OTT. The convention would discuss top trends, policies and regulations in the industry with various stakeholders including filmmakers, technicians, actors, heads of the film studios and representatives from exhibition sectors.
There will be dialogues and exchanges around what kind of a change has the pandemic triggered and what the future looks like for the media and entertainment sector. Conversations will also be around film tourism, IP rights and film incentives.
Ficci Frames Fast Track will also organise masterclasses and workshops around various aspects of filmmaking. This year, students from various schools and colleges will also get an opportunity to hear and learn from the leaders in the sector.
The celebrated and much loved actor, Ranveer Singh, would be inaugurating the event and shall be present for the opening session.
International
Utopai Studios unveils 4K three-minute video generation for PAI platform
New Story Agent and editing tools aim to streamline AI-led filmmaking workflows
MUMBAI: Utopai Studios has announced a major upgrade to its PAI storytelling AI platform, introducing what it claims is an industry-first capability to generate three-minute videos in 4K resolution, alongside enhancements to its Story Agent feature.
The update, rolling out from April 15, expands the platform’s capabilities across the filmmaking process, from early concept development to post-production. The company said the new features are designed to help filmmakers maintain continuity across characters, scenes and visual styles, a key challenge in AI-driven storytelling.
At the heart of the release is a next-generation model that enables more structured narrative development, allowing creators to move more seamlessly from idea to execution. With tools such as multi-shot sequencing and multi-turn editing, the platform aims to give both studios and independent creators greater control over complex storytelling workflows.
Commenting on the launch, Utopai Studios co-founder and CTO Jie Yang said, “The next phase of AI in media will not be defined by isolated tools, but by systems that can carry story, continuity and collaboration across the full creative process.” He added that the update is a step towards enabling more practical, end-to-end narrative development at a professional level.
Echoing this, Utopai Studios co-founder and chief scientific officer Zijian He said, “Generative video is opening the door to a new production model, where creative ambition is less constrained by traditional cost and complexity.” He noted that the platform combines multimodal models with iterative editing to give creators more speed, control and consistency.
The company said PAI is already being used in professional film and television productions, particularly in Hollywood, for tasks such as pre-visualisation, scene design and post-production refinements. The latest update adds features including improved voice options, character consistency, unlimited editing and more flexible asset management.
Utopai also emphasised that its models are not trained on copyrighted material, positioning the platform as a cleaner alternative for creators and rights holders navigating the evolving AI landscape.
As AI continues to reshape content creation, Utopai’s latest push signals a shift from standalone tools to integrated systems, aiming to make high-quality filmmaking faster, more flexible and increasingly accessible.
