International
Academy announces first cut for VFX awards
MUMBAI: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the names of fifteen that have made the first cut for this year‘s visual effects Oscar.
The films are Alice in Wonderland; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; Clash of the Titans; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1; Hereafter; Inception; Iron Man 2; The Last Airbender; Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief; Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time; Scott Pilgrim vs the World; Shutter Island; The Sorcerer‘s Apprentice; Tron: Legacy; and Unstoppable.
In early January, the members of the Academy‘s visual effects branch executive committee will narrow the list to seven.
All members of the visual effects branch will then be invited to view 15-minute excerpts of each of the seven shortlisted films on 20 January. Following the screenings, the members will vote to nominate five films for final Oscar consideration.
The Oscar nominations will be announced on 25 January.
The Academy Awards are set for 27 February.
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.
