Adobe has announced a major expansion of its AI-powered video capabilities

New Delhi: Adobe has announced a major expansion of its AI-powered video capabilities and a fresh $10 million investment to support emerging filmmakers, reinforcing its deep ties with the global film and creator community ahead of the Sundance Film Festival.

According to an annual survey by the Sundance Institute, 85 percent of films submitted to the 2026 festival were created using Adobe Creative Cloud applications, including Premiere Pro, After Effects, Frame.io, Photoshop and Substance 3D. Several Sundance premieres this year, such as Chasing Summer, The A.I. Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist and The Brittney Griner Story, were edited on Adobe Premiere.

At the centre of Adobe’s latest announcement are new AI-driven upgrades to Premiere Pro and After Effects, designed to simplify post-production workflows and help creators move faster from idea to edit. Premiere Pro is now seamlessly connected to Firefly Boards, Adobe’s AI-powered collaborative ideation surface. The integration allows video teams to brainstorm visually and explore concepts using AI models from Adobe as well as partners such as Google, OpenAI and Runway, before moving assets directly into editing.

Adobe has also introduced advanced masking tools in Premiere Pro that significantly reduce the time required for complex tasks like rotoscoping. New object selection and shape mask features enable editors to track subjects more accurately and apply effects such as relighting or blurring with greater precision. A new Adobe Stock panel inside Premiere allows editors to browse and license video clips without leaving the application.

After Effects has received one of its most significant updates in recent years, with new native 3D parametric meshes, access to more than 1,300 free Substance 3D materials, enhanced typography controls through variable font animation, and improved vector workflows for importing SVG files from Illustrator.

Alongside these product updates, Adobe announced nearly $10 million in new commitments through its Film and TV Fund in 2026. The fund supports filmmakers and video creators from underrepresented communities through grants, donated tools, training programmes, fellowships and apprenticeships. This brings Adobe’s total investment in the fund to $20 million since its launch at Sundance in 2024.

The company is also introducing a new direct grant application for filmmakers experimenting with AI in their creative workflows. New partnerships include Rideback RISE and Dimz Inc., while ongoing collaborations continue with organisations such as Gold House and the Group Effort Initiative.

In partnership with the Sundance Institute, Adobe is launching Ignite Day, a new initiative for creators aged 18 to 25. The programme focuses on hands-on learning, mentorship and real-world exposure for young storytellers exploring careers in film and media.

“We’re thrilled to see so many filmmakers creating their stories with Adobe’s industry leading tools," said Deepa Subramaniam, Vice President of Product Marketing, Creative Professionals, Adobe. “The creative community inspires everything we do, and we’re committed to advancing AI video tools with new innovations and investments for the next generation of storytellers.”

The latest updates to Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects and Firefly Boards are rolling out globally this week.