Psychedelic in the Sky (2025) – An animated short film by Matthew Salton. Explore its unique psychedelic animation and captivating visual style.
🌌 Psychedelic in the Sky (2025) — Animated Short Film by Matthew Salton
What happens when childhood wonder collides with adult skepticism? In Psychedelic in the Sky, filmmaker Matthew Salton takes us on an 11‑minute animated journey through alien encounters, belief systems, and the strange beauty of looking up at the night sky. It’s part personal essay, part cultural reflection, and part cosmic hallucination.
🧠Overview
- Genre: Animated Documentary / Experimental / Sci‑Fi 👽
- Director & Producer: Matthew Salton 🎬
- Runtime: 11 minutes
- Country: United States 🇺🇸
- Language: English
- Release: October 2025 (Short of the Week premiere)
- Style: Hand‑drawn and digital animation with surreal, kaleidoscopic visuals
- Themes: UFOs, belief, memory, conspiracy, imagination
Watch the short:
Vimeo watch it:
YouTube watch it:
đź“– Story in Brief
The film begins with Salton recalling his childhood fascination with UFOs — the books, the TV specials, the whispered stories that made the night sky feel alive.
- The Encounter: He revisits a man’s personal UFO sighting, told with sincerity and awe.
- The Question: Is it real, or is it projection — a need to believe in something bigger?
- The Journey: Animation takes us through swirling skies, glowing saucers, and dreamlike landscapes that blur fact and fantasy.
- The Reflection: Salton admits he’s torn — skeptical as an adult, but still enchanted by the possibility.
🎨 Creative DNA & Style
- Animation as memory: The visuals mimic the way childhood stories feel — exaggerated, colorful, slightly unreliable.
- Psychedelic palette: Neon skies, morphing shapes, and cosmic patterns evoke the altered‑state vibe of belief.
- Narrative voice: Salton himself narrates, blending humor, doubt, and nostalgia.
- Documentary meets dream: Real testimonies are filtered through surreal animation, making the unbelievable feel strangely intimate.
🌟 Themes & Resonance
- Belief vs. skepticism: How we balance wonder with rationality.
- Childhood imagination: The way early fascinations shape adult identity.
- Cultural shifts: UFOs moving from fringe conspiracy to mainstream curiosity.
- The need for mystery: Even in a world of science, we crave the unknown.
✅ Pros & ❌ Cons
Pros
- 🎯 Unique hybrid: Documentary + psychedelic animation.
- 🎨 Visually stunning: A kaleidoscope of cosmic imagery.
- 💬 Personal voice: Salton’s narration makes it intimate and relatable.
Cons
- ⏳ Short runtime: Leaves you wanting more exploration of testimonies.
- 🌀 Ambiguity: Doesn’t answer questions — but that’s the point.
đź’ˇ Humanized Takeaway
Psychedelic in the Sky isn’t about proving UFOs exist — it’s about the feeling of wanting them to. Salton captures the tension between skepticism and longing, showing how belief itself can be a kind of psychedelic trip. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most important thing isn’t whether the saucer is real, but whether the story makes us look up at the stars with wonder.
🔍 Find More & Watch
- Vimeo listing
- Short of the Week feature
- YouTube premiere page