Paper Trail

Paper Trail is a short animated drama told through the medium of paper itself. Across its fourteen minutes, the film presents a life as seen on TMDB, using drawn imagery to carry its story. It was released on January 23, 2026, and runs as a compact, self-contained work in the animation and drama genres.

The film is written, directed and produced by Don Hertzfeldt, who also serves as its sole credited filmmaker. It stands as the third feature-length or standalone directorial work in his recent run, following It's Such a Beautiful Day in 2012 and ME in 2024, with Paper Trail arriving two years after the latter. It was made in the United States under the Bitter Films banner, the production company behind the project. The short runtime places it among Hertzfeldt's more contained pieces rather than his longer narrative works.

No cast is credited, consistent with an animated short built around its visual approach rather than performances. The film has been released, so its run in cinemas and availability are already established.