Watch: Nata Metlukh's 'Off-Time' Hand-Drawn Animated Short Film by Alex Billington September 15, 2026Source: YouTube This is the sto
Watch: Nata Metlukh’s ‘Off-Time’ Hand-Drawn Animated Short Film
by Alex Billington
September 15, 2026
Source: YouTube
This is the story of one man and his non-stop life and how time controls us all. Off-Time is an exceptional 10-mimute hand-made animated brief film made entirely by Ukrainian animation artist Nata Metlukh. Made over many years, finally completed and ready to enjoy. She originally began working on this project back in the early 2020s with some assistance from Hiroshima Artist-in-Residence. A data engineer rushes through life, believing multitasking saves time—but it only creates chaos. (But of course…) Despite his strict control over time, nothing gets done: his home is a mess, work overflows, and breakfast is always burnt. He discovers joy in life only when time breaks apart. This is certainly a feeling we’re all extra familiar with right now, especially in the hustle bustle of today’s world and peak burnout culture. I love how every single frame is a gorgeous scene, every part of it’s so detailed and unique. And it runs a full 10 mins, flying beyond the initial premise. There’s also a behind-the-scenes video to view. One of the best animated shorts of this year.
For a closer look at how she created this brief film, enjoy this behind-the-scenes video via Nata Metlukh:
Thanks to Catsuka on Twitter for the tip on this brief debuting online. Original intro from YouTube: “A data engineer rushes through life, believing multitasking saves time—but it only creates chaos. Despite his strict control over time, nothing gets done: his home is a mess, work overflows, and breakfast is always burnt. He discovers joy in life only when time breaks apart.” Off-Time is a hand-made brief film animated and created entirely by Ukrainian animation filmmaker Nata Metlukh based in California – you can view more of her artwork on her official website or follow her on IG @notofagus or follow her YouTube account @notofagus. Featuring sound & music by Maksym Andrukh. The animation project was entirely self-produced with the support of the Hiroshima Artist-in-Residence in 2022. It won Grand Prix at Golden Kuker Animation Film Festival in Bulgaria (2025) and Satoshi Kon Award for Excellence in Animation at Fantasia (also 2025). For more info on the film, visit the Nata’s official site. To discover more shorts (including animation), click here.
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