Utopai Studios has boarded as a headline partner of the first MIP AI Entertainment Forum, taking place at MIPCOM Cannes this October, with Cecilia Shen, cofounder and CEO, set to deliver a keynote on the opening Monday.
The head of the buzzy AI studio will discuss how the global entertainment business is being reshaped by artificial intelligence tools and how Utopai Studios is helping creators and IP owners to bring content to audiences in new ways. Basketball Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony recently became an investor in Utopai Studios, with his production company, Creative 7, cofounded with Asani Swann, set to develop original sports and entertainment IP using PAI, Utopai Studios’ proprietary cinematic storytelling AI tool. The company will have a “major” presence at the Cannes market, MIPCOM says, including a hospitality and outdoor exhibition space.
“Cecilia Shen is one of the most compelling founders of her generation in the AI entertainment space,” said Lucy Smith, director of MIPCOM Cannes. “The launch of the MIP AI Entertainment Forum is about bringing together the companies and leaders helping shape the future of the global media and content business. Utopai Studios represents exactly the kind of ambition, innovation and creative thinking that is driving change across the industry, and we’re delighted to welcome Cecilia and the Utopai team to MIPCOM CANNES 2026.”
“We are building a new studio system for the AI era, one that gives creators, athletes, and talent a more direct path to develop original IP while preserving authorship, ownership, and creative control,” Shen said in announcing the deal with Anthony.
MIPCOM Cannes continues to reshape its proposition into much more than a content market, with the MIP AI Entertainment Forum sitting alongside the MIP BrandWorks initiative and a significant focus on the creator economy this October. MIPCOM Cannes runs from October 12 to 15.
