iWorld
Whistling Woods International to stream short films made by its students on Disney+ Hotstar
MUMBAI: Whistling Woods International (WWI), film, communication, and creative arts institute, announced its collaboration with Disney+ Hotstar. With this association, viewers of Disney+ Hotstar can now stream entertaining and thought-provoking short films created by the students of WWI. Over the coming weeks, selected films will be uploaded on the platform on a regular basis and will be available to viewers under the ‘short films’ section. Newly uploaded films can also be found in the ‘what's new’ section.
Through a unique teaching methodology, which combines academic rigour with practical experience, the students of WWI receive an unrivalled education in film, communication, and creative arts. This experience has seen the institute’s students and alumni contribute immensely to India’s media and entertainment domain, and led to the creation of several highly-acclaimed, award-winning films, many of which have been chosen to be featured on the platform.
Covering a wide range of genres and topics, the short films to appear include Alaksha, a fast-paced drama set against the backdrop of the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai and winner of The Perfect 10 award at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, 2018; Hoop Diaries, a 2014 sports drama centred around the story of a girl overcoming a deeply personal trauma; Manorath, inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s short story ‘The Postmaster’ and winner of the Best Screenplay award at the Pune International Film Festival, 2015, among others.
WWI president Meghna Ghai Puri said, “Whistling Woods International is extremely proud to announce its association with Disney+ Hotstar. Through this venture, viewers across India can choose inspiring and thought-provoking films created by our talented students. By providing a platform to these aspiring filmmakers, to be able to showcase their work, we hope to inspire future generations of artists to pursue their dreams, and follow the institute's motto of Do What You Love.”
Other films which have already been featured on Disney+ Hostar include Film City, Kanchey, Aalav and 500 Rupay, which has received seven awards, 6.5 million YouTube views and a nomination in Filmfare.
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iWorld
WPP Opendoor and Snapchat launch AI Lens for Prime Video India
Generative AI Lens personalises content discovery with real-time user integration.
MUMBAI: In the age of main characters, Prime Video is handing users the script and the spotlight. WPP Opendoor, WPP’s dedicated Amazon unit, has teamed up with Snapchat to roll out an India-first generative AI-powered Lens for Prime Video’s latest campaign, ‘Stories for Your Every Era… it’s on Amazon Prime’. The activation taps into the rising “era-core” trend, where identities shift with moods, moments and mindsets and content is expected to keep up.
The Lens does exactly that. Using generative AI, it places users directly into the worlds of popular Prime Video titles such as Maxton Hall, Beast Games, The Boys and The Traitors, embedding their faces into key visuals in real time. The result is less browsing, more becoming.
The idea is rooted in a behavioural shift: audiences increasingly see themselves as the centre of their own narratives, especially on social platforms. By turning viewers into participants, the campaign blurs the line between content discovery and content experience.
It also introduces a layer of personalisation that goes beyond algorithms. Whether someone identifies with a “trust no-one era” or an “infinite aura era”, the Lens curates recommendations that align with that evolving identity making discovery feel intuitive rather than instructed.
This marks a shift in how streaming platforms approach engagement. Instead of pushing titles, the focus is on pulling users into the story itself transforming passive scrolling into interactive storytelling.
The collaboration also underscores how platforms like Snapchat are becoming key playgrounds for content marketing, particularly when paired with emerging technologies like generative AI. The format is native, immersive and built for participation three things traditional discovery often struggles to deliver.
In a crowded streaming landscape, where attention is the real currency, Prime Video’s bet is clear, if viewers feel like the story is about them, they are far more likely to press play.
