International
Singapore signs co-production deal with China
MUMBAI: Singapore struck its fourth film co-production deal with China on Friday. The signing took place as part of the 7th China-Singapore Joint Council for Bilateral Co-operation currently being held in Beijing.
China was represented by vice minister Zhang Pimin of China‘s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT), while Singapore‘s parliamentary secretary for Trade and Industry and Information, Communications and the Arts, Sam Tan signed on behalf of his country.
The deal covers theatrical feature films and telemovies, across live-action, animation and documentaries. Qualifying films made under the agreement will be eligible for funding and incentives as do productions in their home country, and will similarly qualify as domestic films under censorship regimes in each nation.
SARFT will oversee the agreement on the Chinese side, while the Media Development Authority will supervise it for Singapore.
Singapore had earlier signed such co-production deals with Australia, Canada and New Zealand
France and China signed a co-production treaty in May but so far no films have gone into production under its terms.
Australia and China signed a co-production treaty in 2007 but only one feature has been made under that agreement, “Children of Huang Shi,” directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Chow Yun-fat and Jonathan Rhys-Myers.
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.
