International
NZFC promotes James Thompson as marketing chief
MUMBAI: James Thompson has been promoted to head of sales and marketing of New Zealand Film, the sales division of the NZ Film Commission (NZFC), with immediate effect.
Thompson was previously business affairs executive in the same division.
He replaces Kathleen Drumm, who left the organisation last September. Thompson worked closely with Drumm prior to her departure and has been doing the role in association with NZFC chief executive Graeme Mason.
Said Thompson that he and Mason shared the view that the agency needs to become more commercial. “Our remit is to promote New Zealand, New Zealand films and New Zealand filmmakers but there is a danger of spreading ourselves too thin. By default if we get our films to as many countries as possible we are promoting New Zealand,” he added.
He also said that the Cannes Film Festival and American Film Market will remain the two most important markets for New Zealand, followed by the Berlinale and Toronto International Film Festival.
“I will endeavour to continue the legacy left by Kathleen and previously Lindsay Shelton and to maintain close, cordial and collegiate relations with your buyers.”
He said that while the US market was not fundamental to the sale of all NZ Film‘s pictures it continues to influence the behaviour of other buyers.
His first international trip in his new role of head and sales and marketing will be to Sundance, where writer/director Taika Waititi‘s Boy (pictured) is in competition. Inspired by his Oscar-nominated short Two Cars, One Night, Boy is also in competition in Berlin. It is being released locally by Transmission.
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.
