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'Awkward' is a funny animation that reminds us of the most embarrassing moments in life

Of all the awkward moments we endure in life, we never stop to think just how often these cringe-worthy social exchanges happen. Until now, that is, as Nata Metlukh's latest animated film Awkward reveals.

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From bumping into other people in the street and then doing that silly dance to get out of the way to those times we have to endure a chatty hairdresser when we just want to relax, these are common incidents the Ukrainian-born, San Francisco-based animator and illustrator has loved to illustrate and bring to life. There's even a hilarious, uncomfortable moment when an angry mob covers a car with stickers in a parking spot, only to later realise it really was meant for someone with a disability.

As if the wonderful Very British Problems wasn't enough to remind us of our own social awkwardness, this humorous animation goes the extra mile. We especially love the scene when everyone is trying to understand a piece of art that is essentially a banana stuck to a wall. Or the moment when a man stands in a lift with another woman, panting and sweating after running for it.

We're not the only ones to appreciate Nata's charming film, as it won 'Best Short Film of the Year' at Promofest in Spain earlier this year and also achieved a Vimeo Staff Pick. A graduate of Vancouver Film School and Estonian Academy of Arts, you can see more of her work on her website, where she shares her latest films, gifs, illustrations, animations, and drawings for clients such as Google and Microsoft.

Pedestrians stand in a parking lot next to a car covered entirely in bright yellow-green stickers, with a disabled parking sign visible nearby
Five people standing awkwardly together on a street, including someone holding a pizza box and another holding abstract artwork
A man and woman stand awkwardly in a lift, the man sweating and breathing heavily after running to catch it
A diverse crowd of colourfully dressed people gathered around an orange table with a birthday cake, displaying various awkward social expressions and body language.
A man in a red shirt holds a telescope toward a woman's face as she looks through it, surrounded by bubbles on a pale background
Illustration of a smiling hairdresser with dark hair in a red top next to a distressed client with wild hair standing in a black shirt
Two figures stand on an orange staircase beneath a dark sky filled with white stars and a crowd of people, illustrating an awkward social moment from Nata Metlukh's animation Awkward
Group of formally dressed people stand around a giant bright yellow banana mounted on a dark wall in an art gallery setting
A figure in a white shirt and burgundy hat stands holding a small child with orange hair in an awkward embrace on a tiled floor beneath a teal tunnel-like structure
Person in high-visibility jacket standing on pavement next to parked cars and a tree, with a small white dog nearby
Man tosses an orange while standing beside wooden crates overflowing with oranges in a warehouse setting
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