International
Emir Kusturicka to preside over Cannes jury
MUMBAI: Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica will preside over the jury of the Un Certain Regard section of the 64th Festival de Cannes, scheduled to take place from 11 to 22 May.
Un Certain Regard is an important section of Cannes official programme, next only to the main competition section. Last year, Vikramadity Motwane‘s film Udaan had its world premiere as part of this section. The film went on to become a critical and commercial success in India and overseas thereafter.
Around twenty films from across the world are selected in the section. These films are ‘characterized by the originality of their ideas as well as their aesthetics‘. The best film is awarded the much-coveted Prix Un Certain Regard prize. Last year the award went to the Korean filmmaker Hong Sang Soo for his film Ha Ha Ha. The film was part of MAMI‘s Mumbai Film Festival programme of 2010.
Emir Kusturica received the Palme d‘Or in 1985 for his film When Father Was Away On Business, his second film. Ten years later, his second Palme d‘Or for Underground made him a member of that elite group of directors who have twice been honoured.
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.
