SAN JOSE, Calif.—Adobe today unveiled AI-enhanced masking features for Premiere, new typography, materials and 3D features for After Effects that expand motion design and visual storytelling, and seamless connectivity between Premiere and Firefly Boards.
The announcement comes two days before the opening of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where 85% of this year’s films were created with the company’s products. Adobe also said it will further its commitment to empowering creatives from underserved communities, committing to $10 million in contributions and donating projects in 2026 through the Adobe Film & TV Fund.
The investment builds on the $10 million the company has already committed since launching the fund at Sundance two years ago. It is also launching a new direct grant application for filmmakers integrating AI into their creative workflows.
Firefly Boards is the company’s AI-powered ideation surface, which enables video teams to brainstorm and explore concepts collaboratively using AI models from Adobe, Google, OpenAI, Runway and others.
New innovations in Adobe Premiere and After Effects release 26.0 empower video professionals to accomplish tasks that were previously time-prohibitive. For example, rotoscoping can now be accomplished in seconds with new masking features, such as object selection and mask, shape masks, Firefly Boards integration and Adobe Stock integration.
The new After Effects release opens up new creative possibilities for motion designers and visual storytellers with native 3D parametric meshes, more than 1,300 free substance 3D materials, variable font animation and enhanced vector workflows.
After Effects’ new native 3D parametric meshes enable the design and customization of 3D shapes using parametric meshes and combinable shapes with new spot and parallel shadows to enhance assets like stylized graphics and photorealistic set pieces.
Its enhanced vector workflow support enables import of SVGs as native shape layers, preserving editable gradients and transparencies from Illustrator, making it possible for designers to animate with full vector fidelity and precise control over fills and strokes.
More information is available on Adobe Premiere and After Effects release 26.0 and its Sundance presence online.
