International
Duynslaegher is artistic director Ghent film fest
MUMBAI: The Ghent Film Festival has appointed Patrick Duynslaegher as its artistic director from 1 September.
Said Managing Director Jacques Dubrulle, “This appointment is part of the Board of Directors‘ plan to further develop the important role the Ghent Film Festival plays in the film culture of Flanders and beyond. Patrick will be able to count on the support of several top team members, who have already won their spurs.”
Observed Duynslaegher, “After many years in film journalism, I am thrilled that I can now put my passion for cinema to good use serving the most dynamic film festival in Belgium. I am joining an enthusiastic team to develop new initiatives and ideas in the fast-evolving image culture, surrounded by an explosion of new media where the world of films must constantly reassess itself.”
Duynslaegher (1953) started his career as film editor at Knack, a weekly magazine, where he soon became one of the most critical and competent opinion makers in the Belgian film world. In 2000 he became editor-in-chief of Knack Focus, which he turned into the leading entertainment magazine in Flanders.
The appointment of Duynslaegher has strengthened the structure of this organisation. Together with business & operations director Filip Van Pottelberg and the festival‘s producer and programmer Wim De Witte, Duynslaegher will be responsible for the daily management of the organisation.
The organisation has been holding the Ghent Film Festival since 1979.
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.
