“Trace Project”, an AI-generated sci-fi feature film, premiered on Aug. 9, 2026.

It was the 64-minute movie's only scheduled public screening in Singapore.

In the lead-up to its release, it received backlash online, with some referring to it as “AI slop” and criticising it as an “insult” to the local film industry.

The movie is about Lin Jiajun, an ordinary young man from Singapore, who overcomes social stigma, his humble background, and his father's disapproval to become the nation's first astronaut picked for a historic Mars exploration programme.

I went to watch the AI-generated movie

While others spent the National Day weekend celebrating the festivities or travelling overseas, I decided to watch “Trace Project” in theatres out of curiosity.

I paid a total of S$21.50 for the movie tickets, S$19 for the actual tickets and S$2.50 for online booking convenience fees.

Begged friends

Since it was a public holiday, I also decided to ask a few of my friends, who were aware of the movie's release, if they were willing to watch "Trace Project" with me.

These were their responses:

While most of my friends responded with resounding rejection, only one of my friends, Matthew, was interested in watching “Trace Project”.

After much discussion, he also paid S$21.50 to secure a ticket to the movie.

Attendance

Checks by Mothership revealed that more than 80 per cent of seats for the movie were occupied.

This puzzled me, given the negative sentiments online.

Why would people pay to watch it?

Were they all like me?

Invited guests

Upon arrival on the day of screening, we observed the team at FizzDragon, the production company behind “Trace Project”, handing out tickets to invited audiences.

Those audiences comprised content creators, contributors to the movie and their friends and family.

When I spoke to Pax Chen, the founder and CEO of FizzDragon, she claimed that “around 50 per cent bought the tickets" and "another 50 per cent" were invited.

We also observed a significant number of middle-aged individuals entering the cinema hall.

After purchasing some snacks, we decided to head in.

Addressed the crowd

Before the movie screened, the FizzDragon team greeted the crowd and expressed their gratitude to the audience.

Former People's Action Party (PAP) Member of Parliament Teo Ho Pin also made an appearance and addressed the crowd.

He shared about Singapore’s aspirations “to be a smart nation and a city of dreams”, and he hoped this movie could be a way to “inspire our people to be creative and dream” to achieve this.

The movie commenced soon after.

Review

“Trace Project” felt lacklustre and was genuinely underwhelming.

While the plot of the movie aimed to be inspiring, the movie’s AI-generated visuals and directorial approach severely undermined the story.

The pacing of the movie felt quick, with too many disruptive jump cuts and inadequate exposition.

The movie lacked any notable narrative structure, leaving a lot of plot holes to fill.

This was detrimental in establishing its protagonist, Lin Jia Jun.

Noticeable errors and visual defects due to the AI models used were also present throughout the movie.

At some points, Lin would bear the Singapore flag on his sleeves when he was on Mars.

The flag would frequently show mistakes.

Such examples include the flag featuring six to eight stars instead of five, and it would occasionally morph into a foreign flag.

The portrayal of the characters also felt unnatural.

On some occasions, the voice “actors” would mispronounce words such as “kilometre” and “acknowledged”.

The AI model used felt outdated too.

Sentiments

I was not alone in these sentiments either.

One of those moviegoers whom I spoke to, a 15-year-old who chose to remain anonymous, told me he paid to watch “Trace Project” as he was curious.

When asked about his views on the movie, he said it was “horrible as there were so many mistakes”.

“I am never watching anything AI-generated ever again,” he added.

Matthew, who sat beside me during the screening, expressed disappointment with the movie's creativity when I asked him about the movie.

He criticised the movie’s pace and the depictions of the characters.

“They act so unnatural, so non-human-like that it's distracting all the way through. From start to finish, you are constantly told, this is AI-generated, this is AI-generated,” he said.

Matthew also said he regretted watching the movie.

He felt he could have done something else, he said: “Instead, I decided, hey, why not torture ourselves for today?”

Reviews online also revealed similar reactions.

Unintentionally funny

However, some felt that its lacklustre quality made it “comedic”.

Brian, a 25-year-old who also paid to watch “Trace Project”, told me that if audiences were to “approach this more as a comedy than an actual drama”, it made the movie “quite entertaining”.

“The movie has a lot of plot holes and unresolved storylines. But if you just forget about all that and just think about what goofy lines the characters are saying, you'll have quite a good time,” he said.

Proof of concept

After the screening concluded, FizzDragon held a question-and-answer session.

While moviegoers asked questions, such as the production timelines and the cost and profit made from producing the movie, others also queried the team on the visual defects and errors in the movie.

FizzDragon claimed that while most of the visuals were AI-generated, the script was mainly human-written.

They also acknowledged the mistakes and said the movie took about two to three months to produce.

The team also admitted that they “rushed” it so that the movie could be premiered on National Day.

“We see a lot of things need to be improved,” Chen said.

However, FizzDragon assured that it would make adequate rectifications for the movie.

Some of the movie's audiences also viewed the premiere as a proof of concept rather than a final product.

Juan, a film producer in his 50s who attended the movie via an invite, said this movie is a “work in progress”.

“While it is quite lauded that AI can take us so far. I think generally certain storytelling nuances and context still fall a bit short, but I'm also very aware that perhaps the team also understands that,” he said.

“I think the spirit behind the company and the creators is actually good because I think they know that everything is a work in progress and they are willing to continue to improve what they have,” Juan added.

Juan also said he supported FizzDragon, claiming its moves were “rather progressive”.

When asked if the movie was indeed a proof of concept, Chen assured it was a “finalised project” that “can be improved along the way”.

“This is the magic of AIGC (AI-generated content). You can always improve along the way,” she added.

Art

Ultimately, the backlash to this movie was warranted to a certain extent.

As someone who has been involved in the production of short films and videos, I did initially share similar sentiments.

While FizzDragon pushed the use of generative AI as a way of minimising production costs, I feel that the art of creating a film should be based on human ingenuity and passion.

Matthew felt the same.

“Art is not labour in the same way that construction, automation, and manufacturing are laborious. People make art because they love it. The labour of love is why artists create, every detail, every design, made with intention.” he said.

“I can't help but flinch throughout the film. I really despise AI-generated imagery,” he added.

What is good?

While the negative aspects mainly revolved around the use of AI for the movie, the only good part was its storyline of showcasing a lofty Singaporean ambition.

However, as FizzDragon said, the script was mainly produced by humans.

If a production team were to make a full-fledged feature film with adequate pacing and exposition combined with creative cinematography while using the plot of “Trace Project”, I believe the movie would have potentially performed well.

However, this kind of creativity requires human ingenuity and does not necessarily rely on trained data.

After all, cinematic flourishes such as the transitions in Park Chan-Wook films, the step-printing effects in movies directed by Wong Kar-wai, or the Singaporean-tailored narratives in Jack Neo’s films were all made through human ingenuity.

There is a chance that AI-generated movies will feel generic and soulless without those flourishes.

Until then, the best part of “Trace Project” was that it made me feel something so strongly.

Which is human.

Chinese actress Liu Xiaoqing is being sued for 5.04 million Yuan (S$950,000) by her former assistant, who alleges the two were romantically involved and lived together for six years.

Gu Ke, who is 38 years younger than the 75-year-old actress, filed the suit at Beijing's Chaoyang District People's Court, according to Lianhe Zaobao.

What he alleges

Gu says the two began a relationship after they started working together in 2015, and that he moved into her home the following year. He claims their cohabitation lasted six years, and that Liu called him "baby" during that time.

He says he took on multiple roles beyond photography, working as her driver, housekeeper and social media manager, and describes the arrangement as both a romantic relationship and a business partnership.

Gu maintains he was not a kept man, and argues that his salary of 10,000 Yuan a month (S$1,900) was not reasonable given the scope of the work. He is seeking the shortfall in wages, along with overtime pay and interest.

He also claims that the relationship broke down in 2021, after he was refused when he sought to borrow money to start a business. He claims he was then blocked and told to move out of the property.

Her response

Liu has denied his account.

She says there was no relationship and no cohabitation, and that theirs was strictly an employer and employee arrangement.

She maintains that his wages were settled in full with nothing outstanding.

She has accused Gu of demanding a large sum without evidence, and said she would not give him "a single cent."

The case is currently in court mediation, Zaobao reported.

A seafood restaurant in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, was raided by the Johor Immigration Department on Aug. 7 after it was suspected of illegal employment and allegedly harboring unlicensed foreign workers.

Shin Min Daily News reported that the operation was launched at about 12pm that day based on public reports and intelligence.

It saw 37 foreign workers and a Malaysian man, believed to be the restaurant manager, being detained on the spot.

37 foreign workers

Preliminary investigations revealed that the 37 foreign employees arrested are aged between 19 and 49 and worked as restaurant servers and chefs, Oriental Daily News reported the agency's director as saying.

The workers arrested included six Burmese men, one Vietnamese man, one Bangladeshi man, and 29 Burmese women.

China Press reported that enforcement officers on site checked the employees' identity documents, work permits and terms of service.

They then further expanded the search to a staff dormitory in an area behind the restaurant.

A Malaysian man who was reportedly the restaurant's manager was also detained on the spot to assist in the investigation.

Suspected of violating Immigration Act

The agency's director said all the arrested foreign nationals were suspected of violating the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Immigration Regulations 1963 and have been transferred to a detention camp for further investigation.

Law enforcement officers also issued three witness summonses during the operation, he added.

Oriental Daily News reported that the Johor Immigration Department thanked the public for providing information regarding this incident.

A well-known Chinese influencer who went missing in the Philippines three years ago has been confirmed dead, in what is alleged to have been a kidnapping arranged by her close friend.

The woman, known online as Athena Liya and whose real name was Kong Limei, was second runner-up at the 2021 Miss World Macau pageant, according to Sin Chew Daily.

How she was lured there

In June 2023, her close friend Li Yifei reportedly invited her to Manila, saying she was heartbroken over a breakup and wanted company.

Li promised to arrange a stay at a luxury hotel and a beachside photoshoot.

After Athena set off, Li allegedly cancelled her own flight ticket and handed the flight details to kidnappers in the Philippines.

Athena was allegedly taken by a transnational crime syndicate as soon as she landed. Li immediately wiped all her social media accounts and unfollowed mutual friends.

The syndicate posed as her online

As Athena's family searched for her, Li made no contact and fled abroad.

The syndicate took control of Athena's social media accounts and posted a series of misleading updates, including suggestions that she had run up enormous gambling debts.

The aim was to deceive her family into paying a ransom of US$800,000 (S$1.02 million).

To throw off the police investigation, the group also spread false information online, including claims that Athena had been sold to a brothel in Cambodia and was being kept as a sex slave for wealthy men in Southeast Asia.

The case breaks

A second woman involved in the deception, who went by Li Na and whose real name was given as Chen Yuxuan (both transliterated), was arrested in South Korea in Sep. 2024.

The case broke on Jul. 20 this year, when the syndicate's main suspect, Liu Hanwen (transliterated), was deported from the US to China.

According to local media, the police recently confirmed that Athena had been killed and her body disposed of.

Li Yifei has not been caught. Sin Chew reported that her role remains subject to further investigation by judicial authorities.

The lead teacher for Physics at Yusof Ishak Secondary School (YISS) died at the age of 55.

Lau Chu Beng's passing was announced on Aug. 7 via the school's Facebook page.

'Left lasting mark'

Calling Lau a "steady, guiding presence" through many chapters of the school's journey, the post noted that he was instrumental in establishing the school's Centre for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE).

According to its website, the CTLE is where "teacher learning occurs within the context of the classroom, through masterclasses and demonstration classes".

In sharing the news with "deep sadness", the post noted that Lau had joined the school in 2009.

He then spent his career "doing what he loved most, teaching Physics and making a difference in the lives of those around him".

Lau, who was known for his positive spirit and willingness to go the extra mile, touched the lives of countless students, colleagues, and parents over the years, the post added.

The school thanked Lau for his dedication, warmth, and the "lasting mark" he left on the YISS family.

The post read: "You will not be forgotten.

"Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time."

Never gave up on 'problem students'

One of Lau's former students, now 26, told Lianhe Zaobao that Lau taught him when he attended the school 10 years ago.

Data engineer Chen Minghui (transliterated) said that many students in his class, including himself, did not like Physics at the time, even being regarded as "problem students".

He noted, however, that Lau never gave up on them, treating them as friends and doing his best to tutor them.

Chen said: "[He] is very friendly. If there is not enough time in class, he will take the time to call us to explain difficult problems, or even arrive at school early or stay afterwards to give us extra lessons."

He added that he felt pressured as the O-Level exams were approaching and sought help, after which Lau gave him advice and guidance.

Zaobao reported that instead of traditional teaching methods, Lau used jokes and social media elements to make his classes "fun and diverse".

Under Lau's guidance, Chen achieved excellent results in the O-Level exams after previously failing the subject.

Most students in his class also made significant progress in their studies.

Stayed though school moved locations

Chen said: "[He] made us believe that physics can be very interesting as long as we put in the effort."

Another of Lau's former students, now 26, told Zaobao that his teacher's life was "incredibly fulfilling and meaningful".

Lau had devoted his entire life to illuminating the future of countless students, he added.

The former student, Huang (transliterated), said that after the school moved from Bukit Batok to Punggol, some teachers applied to transfer schools due to the long distance.

Despite staying in the west, Lau remained in the school and endured daily traffic jams to continue teaching in Punggol.

Just held birthday party last month

Lau's death came as a shock as the school had just held a birthday party for him last month, Huang added.

He had been in good spirits at the time, and everyone was saddened at his passing, Zaobao reported.

Many students came to the funeral hall to pay their respects after learning about his passing, which Huang said was the best proof that he was deeply loved by everyone.

Following news of Lau's passing, students, parents and colleagues alike have taken to the school's Facebook page to offer their condolences and share their memories of him.

One student remembers Lau for his "kind and loving teaching".

A parent pointed out that Lau was her son's favourite teacher in the school, adding that she always remembered Lau's "kindness and encouragement" when her son faced difficulties in science during his lower secondary years.

One parent said she appreciated Lau's guidance during her daughter's O-Level exams last year.

Another parent who visited the school's orientation was struck by how much he must have cared for the students that she saw their "utmost respect and adoration" for him.

Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Panjang SMC Liang Eng Hwa commented on the post that he was "deeply saddened" by the news.

"He has been such a decent and jolly person; always caring and dedicated to people around him," he said.

"We will miss him dearly. Chu Beng, rest in peace…"

To curb food wastage, an organisation called Food Rescue Sengkang (FRSK) has organised a Sunset Bread Rescue, where volunteers rescue unsold baked goods to share with the community.

FRSK shared in a Facebook post that every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, their volunteers would collect unsold bread, cakes and pastries that would be discarded.

They would then share the food with the community, as seen by the queues of people waiting to collect the bread.

"Every loaf rescued represents one less item sent to the landfill and one more family able to stretch their grocery budget a little further," said FRSK.

Rescuing food

FRSK started in 2019, and it aims to help reduce food wastage by rescuing food.

This means saving food that would otherwise be wasted by recovering surplus food before it becomes waste.

The organisation also runs an Ugly Fruits and Vegetables Pasar, giving fruits and vegetables that are not "perfect" a second chance.

According to their website, the group sorts out the food and passes it to whoever needs it.

They added that they hardly have any leftovers, as they work closely with elderly homes, shelters, soup kitchens, and welfare organisations to ensure food is channelled to the right places.

Each person/household is allowed to collect one bag or trolley worth of food during the distribution.

The website also has a disclaimer where customers are to exercise their own judgement when consuming the food.

In 2024, FRSK rescued 956,000kg worth of food and served more than 309,000 families.

An SBS bus captain helped stop a Lamborghini engine fire with the bus’s fire extinguisher along Holland Road on Aug. 8.

Rear engine fire along Holland Road

A video shared on TikTok showed 51-year-old bus captain Zhang Zhipeng looking at the black Lamborghini Aventador’s rear engine compartment with a fire extinguisher in hand.

He and the car driver looked to be peering deep into the compartment, which appears already covered in a fine white dust.

The rear engine cover of the vehicle appears to be blackened, and smoke continues to drift from the engine area.

The bus captain carefully sets a large fire extinguisher onto the car’s rear, and directs a stream of dry powder into the car’s engine compartment, while an onlooker urges the men to be careful.

Job done, the bus captain lugs his fire extinguisher back to his bus parked at a safe distance away from the car.

Bus captain commended by SBS Transit for lending help

A spokesperson from SBS Transit, Grace Wu, told Mothership that Zhang saw smoke coming from the car as he approached the bus stop.

Stopping his Service 123 bus at a safe distance, he informed the bus’s passengers of the situation and took a fire extinguisher from the bus to assist the car driver.

Upon approaching the car, Zhang realised that the car driver’s own fire extinguisher had already been depleted, but that the fire in the car was still burning.

SBS Transit added that all its bus captains received basic firefighting training as part of their skills training and that Zhang had been able to draw on that training during the incident.

The company credited the bus captain with responding calmly and decisively while ensuring the safety of his passengers.

“He was in the right place and at the right time, and we commend him for stepping forward to help a fellow motorist when it mattered.”

The police have closed the following areas due to high traffic:

• Stadium Riverside Walk (Areas A, B and C),
• Water Sports Centre, and
• Tanjong Rhu Lookout Tower.

The updates were from Crowd@National Stadium which provides live updates on crowd levels in the vicinity of the National Stadium.

Other areas which have been listed as "Very Crowded", the second highest alert level are:

• Tanjong Rhu Promenade Area E,
• Marina Promenade (Viewing Deck & Jetty), and
• Marina Promenade near to Nicoll Highway MRT (Area B).

A man who was hoping to get a National Day Parade ticket scored a lucky break outside the National Stadium this afternoon (Aug. 9).

Speaking to Mothership, Abdul Jalil, who is in his 70s, attributed this kind deed to a random stranger.

Abdul said that it was his first time watching the parade, and that he had decided to take a chance by simply standing at the entrance of the Stadium MRT station and asking around for a spare ticket.

According to Abdul, he had asked around in both Malay and English, saying "Anybody, so kind if you got a spare ticket? I'd like to have one."

After asking a few people, a Chinese man approached him to give him one, saying, "Sir, this is for you."

"(That was) lucky. Otherwise, I would have to just watch the fireworks," he added.

Took a gamble

Abdul added that he had left home at about 2pm, and he had told his wife about his plan to take a leap of chance in asking around for a ticket.

"My confidence (to secure a ticket) was strong. You have so many people, a couple of thousand over here," he said.

He had also chosen the entrance of the MRT station facing Kallang Wave Mall due to the flow of people emerging from the station.

In addition, he was not the only person standing around asking for tickets; another old man had also been doing the same and was successful as well, with a lady giving him a ticket.

"This is Singapore. People are very nice regardless of what race they are or who they are. If they can help you, they help you," he said.

Abdul, who stays in Indonesia, added that he would be returning after settling some matters in Singapore.

"I want to bring back some memories," he said.

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The restaurant that cooked the wildlife brought to it after it was foraged from an intertidal area in Singapore has apologised for its involvement.

Havelock Palace posted a statement on Facebook on Aug. 8 confirming it had prepared and cooked the marine life that was brought to its restaurant after an internal review.

"We acknowledge that accepting and handling ingredients outside our approved sourcing channels did not meet the standards we expect of ourselves as a food establishment.

We take responsibility for this and sincerely apologise."

The restaurant added that it has since tightened its procedures by:

• tightening its food sourcing and receiving controls
• strengthening supplier documentation and traceability
• prohibiting food from unauthorised or unverified sources from entering the kitchen
• conducting refresher training for its management and kitchen teams on food safety and proper food handling

Havelock Palace also acknowledges that its earlier online responses to the situation did not "clearly explain the situation and may have caused further confusion".

"Havelock Palace is commited to upholding higher standards in food safety, responsible sourcing and the trust of our guests."

Intertidal foraging

In the Facebook group Complaint Singapore, one user shared on Jul. 13 screenshots and a video of a group of individuals gathering and foraging in an intertidal area with pails in hand.

The gathered wildlife was later laid out on a table in a restaurant kitchen.

They include a number of molluscs, including what looks to be fan clams and crabs.

Plates of cooked food were later seen on a dining table.

Pasir Ris-Changi GRC MP Valerie Lee, who is in charge of the Changi division, wrote in a Facebook post that she was "extremely disappointed" after watching the video.

Characterising the behaviour as "deplorable", Lee commented that it was not about the legality of it, but about a lack of respect.

The restaurant, which allegedly prepared and cooked marine life foraged by a group from the shores of Changi, has received numerous one-star reviews on Google Maps after the issue gained attention online.

In a Jul. 26 video, local science content creator Biogirl MJ, who hosts the educational platform Just Keep Thinking, commented on the incident, sharing that she had also left a review on the restaurant's Google Maps listing.

The group that organised the intertidal foraging at Changi beach has since been disbanded due to public pressure.

Following the viral video that drew a lot of backlash online, the group administrator deleted all his intertidal foraging videos from his account on Jul. 24.

In addition, he announced to the group that, to protect marine life, respect local laws and regulations and avoid causing inconvenience to members, he would be suspending all coastal foraging activities.

Foraging can have far-reaching consequences on ecosystem services

Karenne Tun, a Group Director at the NParks National Biodiversity Centre, previously said in response to Mothership's queries that NParks is aware of a social media post on intertidal foraging and "seeks the understanding of the public to protect our intertidal biodiversity".

According to Tun, NParks restricts the collection of animals from intertidal zones under its jurisdiction.

These zones include Sisters' Islands Marine Park, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Labrador Nature Reserve's rocky shore and Chek Jawa Wetlands.

For intertidal areas outside its jurisdiction, Tun says it focuses on public education on best practices and how visitors can interact responsibly with marine wildlife.

Tun also said, "The removal of wildlife from their habitats, including intertidal zones, harms our biodiversity and disrupts our ecosystems. Each species plays a unique role in its ecosystem, and their removal can have far-reaching consequences on ecosystem services such as pollination, seed dispersal and nutrient cycling."

"This in turn affects the ecological resilience of our natural habitats. Removing wildlife from their habitats also endangers their population, especially for species which are already threatened," she continued.

The public who are unfamiliar with marine wildlife species may also endanger their own safety, as they may not recognise poisonous, stinging, or venomous marine wildlife, Tun cautioned.