International
US-China resolve dispute relating to payment of two per cent rise in taxation
NEW DELHI: The dispute between the American film studios and China Film Group Corporation has been resolved with the Chinese side agreeing to pay the money due in full.
According to Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) Christopher J Dodd, a controversial two per cent rise in taxation on luxury goods that came into nationwide effect on 1 August was the cause of the dispute.
Previously there was a 3.3 per cent tax on ticket sales, in addition to the controversial five per cent paid to the opaque government film fund. The internal dispute between CFG which is China distribution partner for American studios and the US studios has been over who will pay the newly introduced two per cent that the film industry has suddenly been burdened with.
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According to the trade agreement signed between the (then) vice president’s Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in February 2012 — US studios was guaranteed 25 per cent of revenue on imported films after all taxes had been paid by China Film Group.
According to Film Business Asia, unverified reports state that the state-owned CFG receives about 14.5 per cent of revenue on imported films, compared to the 25 per cent that goes to the US studios on non-flat fee deals. Cinema owners take a fixed 57 per cent of box office revenue. But the 25 per cent deal was made at the highest level of government and was never at risk.
It has not yet been determined how the two per cent will be accounted for outside of the US studios 25 per cent. There could be a reduction in the film fund to three per cent. Any decision may need to be approved at the next meeting of the State Council. What has been made clear is that under the agreement signed by Xi and Biden — the US studios‘ post-taxation 25 per cent take will still be 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.
