Singapore’s National Day is coming on 9 August, and apparently, this year we can celebrate it by choosing between Mars and zombies.
Two films made by Singapore-based studios are set to make their debut on National Day.
One is Trace Project, a 64-minute AI-generated science-fiction feature about a Singaporean astronaut heading to Mars.
The other is Bersama Majulah, an AI-assisted short film in which a National Day Parade becomes ground zero for a deadly spore outbreak.
Both projects have also attracted discussion over their use of generative AI.
Trace Project Imagines Singapore Sending an Astronaut to Mars
Trace Project is an AI-generated science-fiction film by Singapore-based FizzDragon.
It will premiere at Golden Village VivoCity at 2pm on 9 August, with Mothership reporting that this is currently its only scheduled public screening in Singapore.
The film has a runtime of 64 minutes.
According to the event page for the premiere, general admission costs S$19.
The story takes place in the late 2030s, when Earth’s ecosystem is deteriorating and humanity has started sending astronauts to Mars under something called the Mars Footprints Program.
The protagonist, Lin Jia Jun, grew up in Singapore public housing before becoming Singapore’s first astronaut to set foot on Mars.
While he is there, he remains emotionally connected to Chen Hui Min on Earth through a cognitive brain-link.
Unfortunately, Mars turns out to be rather less “new BTO estate with good view” and more “extremely hostile planet where you might die”.
The story eventually asks whether humanity’s future lies in escaping Earth or learning to protect the planet it already has.
In an interview with Mothership, FizzDragon founder and CEO Pax Chen said the idea originated from a novel she had written herself.
She said the National Day premiere was suggested by a senior figure from the Singapore Film Society, with the team deciding that National Day was an appropriate time to present a fictional view of Singapore’s future.
The film was produced by a team of about 10 people across three countries.
Some People Have Already Called It “AI Slop”
And this is where things get rather spicy.
Mothership reported that Trace Project received negative online comments during its marketing, with some people describing it as “AI slop” and criticising the local film industry.
Chen defended the technology, telling Mothership that new products inevitably face criticism because they are measured against existing standards.
She compared the development of AI with the early automobile, arguing that new technology could ultimately create new jobs and opportunities instead of simply replacing old ones.
FizzDragon is no stranger to AI filmmaking either.
In 2025, CNA reported that Singapore’s FizzDragon and Malaysia’s Future Studios had produced Pirate Queen: Zheng Yi Sao, whose visuals were fully created using AI-generated content.
AI tools were also used for tasks including scene generation, script editing, animation and post-production.
After the Trace Project premiere, FizzDragon said the film will be made available through its app, with international distribution also planned.
You can watch its trailer here:
The Other Film Starts With an NDP…Then Things Go Very Wrong
The second project is Bersama Majulah, which translates to “Together Onwards”.
It is produced by Singapore-based studio Edenstone and will be released on sporefall.com on 9 August.
Unlike Trace Project, this is an AI-assisted short film.
The Straits Times reported that the four-minute film depicts a National Day Parade being attacked by a lethal spore pathogen.
People subsequently transform into zombie-like creatures.
Technically, this is not Singapore.
The story takes place in a fictional country called Lionara.
However, viewers will recognise places including the Marina Bay skyline and the Merlion, while the opening depicts a fictional version of Singapore’s 2026 National Day Parade.
Bersama Majulah is a spin-off from Spore Fall, Edenstone’s science-fiction microdrama series about a deadly spore outbreak covered up by an authoritarian regime.
The short film is helmed by Singaporean creator and showrunner Joel Boh, with Singaporean producer Chan Gin Kai serving as executive producer. Local musician Dharma Sadasivan composed its official theme song.
Its Creators Say It Is “Human-Written, AI-Realised”
Edenstone is making a distinction between its project and a film generated primarily by AI.
The studio describes Bersama Majulah as “human-written, AI-realised”.
According to Edenstone, human creators are responsible for the scripts, characters, emotional arcs and world-building.
AI tools are then used under human creative direction to speed up the creation of visual assets.
Boh said in a press statement that the technology was intended to scale the team’s visual output rather than replace human creative authorship.
The creators also knew that showing a dystopian, Singapore-like setting on National Day might raise eyebrows.
Boh said the decision reflected their belief that Singapore’s identity was strong enough to be reimagined, with the story focusing on people choosing unity over fear when faced with a major crisis.
According to Mothership, online discussion over its trailer has included comments about its use of AI, as well as negative comparisons with existing works such as The Last of Us.
Edenstone itself has acknowledged that its creative choices are likely to polarise audiences.
Edenstone Has Already Been Experimenting With AI
Bersama Majulah is not Edenstone’s first attempt at this production model.
In April 2026, The Straits Times reported that the first season of Spore Fall consisted of 10 episodes and was made by a team of 11 using generative AI to produce visuals, including its characters.
Boh told ST that the season cost about S$8,000 in software fees, including its AI tools.
However, he also acknowledged AI’s limitations.
One problem was continuity, such as keeping a character looking consistent between scenes, which meant artists and engineers still had to intervene.
So while AI allowed a relatively small team to create visuals that might otherwise require a much larger production budget, it did not simply involve typing “make zombie show please” and going for kopi.
You can watch it here:
AI and National Day Have Already Had a Slightly Awkward 2026
The two films are also arriving just weeks after another National Day-related AI controversy.
In July, an AI-generated National Day banner displayed in the Kampong Chai Chee estate was removed after people noticed numerous errors.
Three of the four flags shown did not accurately depict Singapore’s flag, with two resembling Indonesia’s red-and-white flag.
The artwork also included distorted people and a girl whose ponytail appeared to be attached to her ear.
Kampong Chai Chee Community Club said residents who made the banner were unaware of the inaccuracies and replaced it after the problem was highlighted.
The community club subsequently said the incident was a reminder that while AI can be useful, its output needs to be carefully checked.
Now, on 9 August itself, Singaporeans will get two more very different examples of how local creators are trying to use the technology.
One has Mars.
The other has zombie-like creatures at NDP.
And judging from the online reactions so far, the conversation about AI in Singapore’s creative industry is probably not ending anytime soon.
