International
UK film industry welcomes UKFC overhaul
MUMBAI: The UK film industry has welcomed the reorganisation of the UK Film Council and has described the major changes effected as “producer friendly”.
Says Robert Bernstein of Ecosse Films, producer of Sam Taylor Wood‘s Nowhere Boy “It is a very positive thing that money recouped by the UKFC on successful films will go back into the production fund, as it is an incentive for producers to come up with commercially successful projects.”
Paul Raphael of Starfield Productions, who produced the 2007 drama about the Lebanon war Under the Bombs was “glad to see that the focus is on helping producers. It shows that the people having the discussions understand the realities we are all facing.”
Christopher Granier-Deferre of production company Possion Rouge Pictures, who produced the 2008 thriller The Hide, added, “The merging of funds is a fairly cosmetic move. It should be more about re-evaulating how the fund is run. It should be a democratic and transparent process, as to how the films are supported.”
The new fund will be managed by one ‘head‘, supported by three senior executives with distinct, creative roles. All will be appointed by 2 April next year.
The existing heads of the New Cinema Fund and the Development Fund -Lenny Crooks and Tanya Seghatchian respectively- will be eligible to apply for one of the four positions. The posts will also be open to external candidates.
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.
