team of NTU alumni turned their shared passion for storytelling into a bold, sci-fi comedy that made its World Premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival. A first in the genre for a Singapore-produced film, We Can Save The World!!! follows the exploits of a Singaporean who helps an alien locate a lost doomsday device.
Behind the film is a group of nine NTU alumni who worked with the film’s director, Cheng Chai Hong, to bring the movie to life. The film’s producers include Lee Yi Jia (WKWSCI/2019), Tan Jia Min (ADM/2019), and co-producer Martin Loh (WKWSCI/2019) — all professionals in the film industry who have worked on different web drama series and television commercials, and now, their first full-length feature.
The movie’s executive producers Philothea Liau (ADM/2012) and Priscilla Hoo (ADM/2011) are founders of Hello Group, a Singapore-based casting and talent agency who had a role in the casting of Crazy Rich Asians and a season of WestWorld.
Russell Chan (WKWSCI/2016) is the Director of Photography, Weiqi Chuah (WKWSCI/2019) is the first Assistant Director, Danial Razak (WKWSCI/2016) is the Lead Editor and Jeremie Lim (WKWSCI/2019) is the Assistant Editor.
The movie made its World Premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival on 17 July 2025 as the only independent Singaporean film featured at the festival.Director Cheng Chai Hong had noticed that while riding the lift to his apartment, no one in the lift, himself included, made eye contact with each other. This observation led to a discussion with his peers about the loneliness epidemic among millennials and Gen Z in post-pandemic Singapore – the topic that the film aims to address.
“We wanted to make a film from the perspective of how younger people see Singapore,” says Yi Jia. “Not just in language or setting, but in spirit. We want people to watch it and feel uplifted.” “We had all worked on our own, separate projects after graduation. In 2023, when director Chai Hong approached us separately to produce his film, individually we all said yes because we knew it was going to be something special,” recalled Yi Jia.
The trio’s shared history as friends, collaborators and NTU students made assembling the film crew an organic process.
“Putting a team together was really serendipitous,” says Martin. “I met some of them almost ten years ago at school or through internships. But the trust and familiarity we built at NTU and at work made it easy to work together again.”
Yi Jia and Martin credit their time at NTU for opening their eyes to the world of filmmaking. A fond memory for them was taking part in their school’s Overseas Film Festival Practicum, a course that brought them to the Busan International Film Festival. It was through this experience that both saw first-hand how enthusiastically Korean audiences supported local cinema. Yi Jia and Martin (top row, left most) attending the Busan Film Festival in 2018 (Photo Credit: Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information)
“It was incredible,” recalls Yi Jia. “People were queuing for hours just to watch Korean films. That kind of organic cultural pride inspired us, and we wanted to see more of that in Singapore.” As someone who entered NTU without any idea of what he wanted to pursue in the future, Martin recalls watching a black-and-white film in school for a film module as his own personal awakening. “I remember thinking that if I could create a film that would make someone else feel the same way I did in that dark lecture theatre, my existence would be very meaningful,” said Martin. The movie was produced independently, meaning the team had to seek out and convince investors to believe in the team’s vision and work. While most commercial films made by bigger movie studios have centralized offices and studios, the team shot parts of the movie at the director’s home in Tampines while communicating largely over calls. “We wanted to retain full creative oversight and stay true to Chai Hong’s original version. So, we made the difficult decision to stay independent,” explains Martin. “The relationship we share with our investors and partners isn’t completely about money” says Yi Jia. “They are people who understand what we were trying to do. As professionals in the film industry, we all believe that Singaporean film can stand on its own feet.” The opportunity to showcase their film abroad gave the producers a chance to connect with Singaporeans based overseas while bringing a piece of home to them. “This isn’t about chasing international validation,” Yi Jia clarifies. “It’s about reaching Singaporeans, wherever they are. We want them to see a version of Singapore they recognize but maybe haven’t seen on screen before.” “At some point, I started questioning why I was even making films,” says Yi Jia. “But through this project, I realized that what we’re doing is not just for ourselves. It’s for the audience. We want to remind people that they’re not alone.” To her juniors and other NTU alumni who are looking at pursuing a career in filmmaking, Yi Jia advises: “The path will be challenging, but you should welcome the challenge and find your community to journey with.”
Source: NTU Alumni News.
