International
Italian film fest to celebrate excellence in visual arts in May 2002
The International Festival of Films on Art and the Lives of Artists, the event that critically evaluates the latest productions in cinema, television, video and infographics dedicated to the world of visual arts, kicks off in Asolo, Italy, on 2 May, 2002.
The ‘Asolo Project’, that organises the annual four-day film fest, has invited global entries for the competition. The eligibility criteria for the entries stipulates short, average-length and long films, with or without a subject, produced between 2000 and 2001. Films in both 35 and 16 mm with either optic sound track or with magnetized tape will also be admitted. The deadline for submissions is 28 February, 2002, according to an official release.
The festival, being held each year since 1973, aims to develop a well-thought out critical perspective by focussing on the positive confluence and combinations of the diverse communicative visual forms. The five sections in the festival comprise –
·Films on Art for audio-visuals, on subjects such as painting, sculpture, architecture, music, cinema, theatre, dance and any other form of artistic expression;
·Video Art and Computer Art, for works using electronic and computer audio-visual means as direct artistic expression;
·Computer Net Art, for works of art on the web that are transmitted via internet;
·Experimental cinematographic, television, video and info-graphic productions made in specialised courses of cinema schools and special institutes of higher education.
An international jury comprising five luminaries from the cinema and art world will award prizes for the best art work in television and video, the best film on art, the best film on the life of an artist, the best film of artists or of video art, the best production conceived for online viewing, best experimental cinematographic for television and video, the best info-graphic production made in specific courses for cinema or other specialised institutes of higher education, and the best sound track. The jury will also note any works deserving particular merit that would not otherwise be recognised, the release says.
More details about the festival can be had from www.artfilmfestival.com.
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.
