diff --git a/NEW_RELEASE_NOTES.md b/NEW_RELEASE_NOTES.md
index 652fa670d8f..4a1a9c7fa7e 100644
--- a/NEW_RELEASE_NOTES.md
+++ b/NEW_RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -7,6 +7,3 @@ for next branch cut* header.
 appropriate header in [RELEASE_NOTES.md](./RELEASE_NOTES.md).
 
 ## Release notes for next branch cut
-- materials: fix alpha masked materials when MSAA is turned on [⚠️ **Recompile materials**]
-- materials: better support materials with custom depth [**Recompile Materials**]
-- engine: fade shadows at shadowFar distance instead of hard cutoff [⚠️ **New Material Version**]
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b8b5a10646b..e35994aa510 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ repositories {
 }
 
 dependencies {
-    implementation 'com.google.android.filament:filament-android:1.43.1'
+    implementation 'com.google.android.filament:filament-android:1.44.0'
 }
 ```
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ Here are all the libraries available in the group `com.google.android.filament`:
 iOS projects can use CocoaPods to install the latest release:
 
 ```shell
-pod 'Filament', '~> 1.43.1'
+pod 'Filament', '~> 1.44.0'
 ```
 
 ### Snapshots
diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES.md b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
index c6d512b73a3..7d657e90cd9 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES.md
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES.md
@@ -7,6 +7,12 @@ A new header is inserted each time a *tag* is created.
 Instead, if you are authoring a PR for the main branch, add your release note to
 [NEW_RELEASE_NOTES.md](./NEW_RELEASE_NOTES.md).
 
+## v1.45.0
+
+- materials: fix alpha masked materials when MSAA is turned on [⚠️ **Recompile materials**]
+- materials: better support materials with custom depth [**Recompile Materials**]
+- engine: fade shadows at shadowFar distance instead of hard cutoff [⚠️ **New Material Version**]
+
 ## v1.44.0
 
 - engine: add support for skinning with more than four bones per vertex.
diff --git a/android/gradle.properties b/android/gradle.properties
index 5f2a461dff3..9437d5af284 100644
--- a/android/gradle.properties
+++ b/android/gradle.properties
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 GROUP=com.google.android.filament
-VERSION_NAME=1.43.1
+VERSION_NAME=1.44.0
 
 POM_DESCRIPTION=Real-time physically based rendering engine for Android.
 
diff --git a/ios/CocoaPods/Filament.podspec b/ios/CocoaPods/Filament.podspec
index eaac850ba15..b83e7f0e029 100644
--- a/ios/CocoaPods/Filament.podspec
+++ b/ios/CocoaPods/Filament.podspec
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 Pod::Spec.new do |spec|
   spec.name = "Filament"
-  spec.version = "1.43.1"
+  spec.version = "1.44.0"
   spec.license = { :type => "Apache 2.0", :file => "LICENSE" }
   spec.homepage = "https://google.github.io/filament"
   spec.authors = "Google LLC."
   spec.summary = "Filament is a real-time physically based rendering engine for Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, macOS, and WASM/WebGL."
   spec.platform = :ios, "11.0"
-  spec.source = { :http => "https://github.com/google/filament/releases/download/v1.43.1/filament-v1.43.1-ios.tgz" }
+  spec.source = { :http => "https://github.com/google/filament/releases/download/v1.44.0/filament-v1.44.0-ios.tgz" }
 
   # Fix linking error with Xcode 12; we do not yet support the simulator on Apple silicon.
   spec.pod_target_xcconfig = {
diff --git a/web/filament-js/package.json b/web/filament-js/package.json
index dd9b35c10e4..b832762146e 100644
--- a/web/filament-js/package.json
+++ b/web/filament-js/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "filament",
-  "version": "1.43.1",
+  "version": "1.44.0",
   "description": "Real-time physically based rendering engine",
   "main": "filament.js",
   "module": "filament.js",