Directed by filmmaker Yuki Tanada, known for The One Million Yen Girl and My Broken Mariko, the eight-part series follows Yuki, a curious young girl, and her fellow islanders as they navigate daily life on a remote Japanese island.

Each short film presents an everyday challenge faced by the islanders, with creative solutions emerging through digital design tools. From making artwork and presentations to editing videos and designing printed materials, the series explores how technology can support problem-solving in daily life.

The first four films introduce the island’s quiet charm and its eccentric residents. ‘The Postman’ follows Yuki as she befriends the local postman, played by Kanji Furutachi, and helps revive the tradition of Nengajo, Japan’s New Year postcard custom. In ‘A Fresh Start,’ Yuki tries to help her grandmother, played by Naoko Ken, reignite her passion for running an island salon.

In ‘Dream Boyfriend,’ Yuki playfully reshapes the reality of her surfer crush, Kai, to match her idealised vision of a boyfriend. ‘Island Romance’ sees her scheming to make the entire island fall in love, hoping it will bring more children to play with—leading to unexpected twists and chaos.

The series will continue into 2025, introducing new island characters and expanding the story’s focus on creativity, community, and connection.

Max Pilwat, creative director at W+K Tokyo, said, “This year, we explored the power of Canva on a deeper level. Through this series, we brought the app to an unexpected setting—an island—demonstrating how it can allow real people to design and connect beyond their imaginations.”

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For this series, MullenLowe SG has teamed up with four local directors – Royston Tan, Kirsten Tan, K Rajagopal and Tariq Mansor. The films are titled ‘Take Flight’, ‘A or B’, ‘Mission: Possible’, and ‘Comeback Queens’.

The films spotlight how key policies introduced in the Forward Singapore report, launched in October last year, and through subsequent announcements by Ministries and agencies, will help Singaporeans better navigate the uncertainties in today’s world and attain their aspirations in providing multiple pathways to success, improving social mobility, staying relevant in the workplace, and embracing retirement with a peace of mind.

Aaron Lye, director of campaigns and productions department at MDDI said, “Through these four films, we want to help Singaporeans feel more empowered to chart their own paths, by better understanding how the roadmap for our new social compact, as set out in the Forward Singapore report, will support them at different stages of life and allow them to better pursue their aspirations.”

Meanwhile, MullenLowe Singapore CEO Paul Soon, commented, “We’re pleased to work with MDDI to showcase that Forward Singapore is not just a slogan, but a platform of concrete solutions that can support Singaporeans to be the best version of themselves. We approached the development of the films with the strategic thought that all Singaporeans impact and encounter each other in daily life, regardless of age, education level, race, or other markers.”

He added, “That’s why we’ve used a creative device where we see the main characters of one film showing up as cameos in other films, creating a little cinematic universe. We hope audience members can enjoy spotting familiar characters across the films which together represent collective progress and resilience.”

Royston Tan, executive director of the campaign and director of one of the four films, A or B?, said, “The four films are directed by directors with different and distinctive styles which we hope will be able to provide varied perspectives and viewing experiences for the audience. I hope that Singaporeans can see themselves when they watch the films and find inspiration and encouragement as we move forward.”

K. Rajagopal, director of Mission: Possible, said, “Mission: Possible explores the very real anxieties of the Singaporean working population about a rapidly changing skills landscape and challenges in keeping up. The light-hearted comedy and relatability enable the film to reassure Singaporeans that they are not alone, and that they have options to improve themselves.”

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