As belief in extraterrestrial life grows around the world, the notion of alien existence is shifting from fringe conspiracy to mainstream curiosity. This change in attitude has opened up the conversation, with more people now feeling comfortable sharing their experiences and opinions without the fear of being laughed at. In Matthew Salton’s (Richard Twice, Patty Are You Bringing Weed in from Jamaica) animated documentary Psychedelic in the Sky, the filmmaker admits that, despite a long-standing fascination with the subject, making a UFO film once felt like “a bridge too far” – until now.Even with this newfound openness surrounding the topic of alien life, Salton acknowledges early in the film’s voiceover that he still felt he risked “ridicule” by creating Psychedelic in the Sky. To guide him through this exploration, he turns to “experiencer” Len, who leads viewers through the “transformational, transcendental” nature of a close encounter – helping to anchor the film in something both personal and profound – alongside archival insights from the ‘Godfather of UFOlogy’ Jacques Vallée.“The edit took about a year, with animation and sound happening at the same time” – Salton discussing his production approach“In a way, these stories gave me a sense of comfort – a belief that there might be something greater than myself out there”, Salton shares, reflecting on his enduring fascination with UFO sightings. Upon meeting Len, the filmmaker was struck by his almost spiritual interpretation of his own encounter and saw it as an intriguing perspective for the film. “I realized that weaving my own personal reflections into Len’s story might be a unique way to approach the subject, and also a way to bring people into this world who might otherwise dismiss it,” Salton explains.For me, it’s this accessibility and openness that lie at the heart of Psychedelic in the Sky’s real appeal and charm. Originally, Salton envisioned the film as a series of animated archival UFO reports, but he admits this approach left him feeling detached from the material. Shifting to a more personal method – incorporating his own hand-drawn animations alongside 3D environments by James Bascara and animation by Henrike Lendowski and Daniel Barreto – Salton worked to create something that “felt cohesive but still left room for mystery.”“At its core, it’s about a human need for meaning, belief, and wonder”“I wanted the film to feel open-ended – something that could speak not just to UFO believers, but also to people who might not normally be interested in the subject,” Salton concludes, noting that at its core, Psychedelic in the Sky is really about the “human need for meaning, belief, and wonder” – and what could be more grounded than that?