International
Oz filmmaker moves SC against Screen Australia
MUMBAI: Australian filmmaker James Ricketson has moved the country‘s Supreme Court against Screen Australia. He claims that Screen Australia has not provided any good reason of banning him from talking to the funding body which he did in May.
Ricketson wants the film body to produce documents that show how he has “harassed, intimidated or placed staff at risk”.
Ricketson, who is suing for $1 in compensation, believes he has done nothing wrong.
The three claims made by Ricketson in his legal documents allege: On or about 12 November 2010, Fiona Cameron, COO of Screen Australia showed other staff at Screen Australia a letter which suggests that the plaintiff came away from a meeting with senior executives at Screen Australia believing that he had been successful in engaging in an action that was in contravention of Screen Australia guidelines, procedures and protocols and hence corrupt. Some time prior to 10 May this year, Ms Ruth Harley, Chief Executive of Screen Australia, presented documents to the Screen Australia Board which contained untrue statements damaging to the plaintiff‘s reputation as a film producer. These documents led the Board of Screen Australia to ban the plaintiff from having any further dealings with Screen Australia and Ms Harley.
In the case of both Ms Cameron‘s and Ms Harley‘s assertions, the plaintiff has requested that he be provided with copies of the correspondence referred to in their respective letter of 12 November 2010 and 10 May 2012. His requests have been ignored. The plaintiff denies the existence of the correspondence referred to.
Ricketson is about to travel to Cambodia to film the latest installment of Chanti‘s World, a documentary he has been making for 17 years about a girl growing up in Phnom Penh.
In the filmmaker has been campaigning against Screen Australia for what he claims was unfairly declining to fund this project.
However, Screen Australia rejects this claim.
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.
