International
75 long-lost silent movies being returned to US (AP)
MUMBAI: As many as 75 long-lost silent films traced in the New Zealand Film Archive vault will be sent back to the United States. Among the films found in storage is the copy of Upstream a drama by legendary director John Ford and a period drama starring the 1920s screen icon Clara Bow.
Sadly, only 15 per cent of the silent films made by Ford have survived. Said, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Christopher Finlayson that the find is important as there are no prints remaining in the US.
Film Archive corporate services manager Steve Russell said that the films were discovered when American preservationist Brian Meacham visited New Zealand last year. Many of the films remained in New Zealand because distributors at the time did not think the return shipping costs were worth the expense.
Returning the films will cost the US National Film Preservation Foundation around $ 500,000. The late Ford‘s 1927 film Upstream was being copied onto safety stock in New Zealand to prevent further damage in transit.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hopes to screen the restored film in September. Copies of the films are to be made available in New Zealand through the Film Archive.
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.
