Movies
FFI pooh-poohs Rawail’s objections, wants support for ‘Court’ as Oscar entry
NEW DELHI: The Film Federation of India (FFI) has reiterated that “all the norms and regulations governing the selection process were followed for selection of Indian entry for the Oscars and the Federation is happy with the process.”
This comes in the wake of certain statements made to the press by filmmaker Rahul Rawail, who chose to walk out against the selection process, though the Federation says he later appreciated the choice of Court for Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language category.
FFI secretary general Supran Sen said, “Federation Honorary General Secretary C. Kalyan, I in my capacity as Secretary General, and our Deputy Secretary Mr. Anindya Dasgupta were present during the final proceedings to select India’s entry and we did not see anything amiss in the way it was conducted.”
The selection, he claimed, had been appreciated in all quarters and the jury has been unanimous in their choice.
“While we would not like to comment on Mr. Rawail’s opinions which are his own, what we would have appreciated is a situation where he could have spoken to the FFI President and other senior officials before going to the media,” Sen said.
“To conclude, it is our appeal to all our media friends and the members of the film fraternity to focus on the positives. Let us all get behind Court and its quest as it seeks to try and bring some glory to our Country,” Sen added.
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.
