International
Samoa’s first full-length film underway
MUMBAI: Samoa, the Pacific Island is to get its first full-length feature film The Orator (O Le Tulafale), thanks to the hard work of its filmmaker Tauti Tusi Tamasese and a group of New Zealanders. The film, financed by the New Zealand Film Commission happens to be the first feature to be entirely shot in Samoa, in the Samoan language, with a Samoan cast and story.
Tamasese previously made a short film titled Sacred Spaces (Va Tapuia) set in a cyclone- ravaged Samoan village.
Said Samoa‘s deputy prime minister Misa Telefoni, “The film a beautiful and poignant love story that will provide a moving tribute to the magnificent splendor of Samoa and our people.”
Produced by Catherine Fitzgerald with associate producers like Maiava Nathaniel Lees and Michael Eldred, the film is the story of Saili, a small man with a big heart, who must find the strength to speak up for those that he loves.
The film, that will star newcomers Fiaula Sanote as Saili and Tausili Pushparaj as his wife Vaaiga will be shot by New Zealand-based cinematographer Leon Narbey.
While Australia‘s Transmission Films will distribute the film in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, NZ Film, the sales arm of the New Zealand Film Corporation will handle the world sales of the film.
The film will start rolling on 27 October.
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.
