The Cosmic Trigger Coming to SALA for a Special Los Alamos Premiere
Published on April 27, 2026
SALA Los Alamos Event Center will host a special premiere weekend of The Cosmic Trigger, the newest documentary from award-winning filmmaker Larry L. Sheffield. The film will be shown for the first time here at SALA in Los Alamos on Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 9 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., with Larry L. Sheffield joining audiences at SALA for a live Q&A.
Larry is no stranger to Los Alamos or to SALA audiences. Over the years, he has brought previous films here that explore New Mexico’s atomic and aerospace history, and we are excited to welcome him back for this special event.
About the Film
The Cosmic Trigger explores a question that has fascinated historians, researchers, and audiences for decades: what was being seen in the skies over New Mexico in the years following the Trinity Test?
Set against the backdrop of the atomic age, the documentary examines reports of unexplained aerial phenomena near some of the nation’s most sensitive military and scientific sites, including Los Alamos, White Sands, and Holloman. Through declassified military documents, archival footage, firsthand testimony, and historical research, the film looks at one of the most intriguing mysteries connected to America’s atomic frontier.
Rather than leaning on folklore or speculation, the film presents documented incidents and asks audiences to take a fresh look at the historical record. As the film’s press materials describe it, this is an examination of “documented events drawn from official records, eyewitness accounts, and historical research.”
A Story That Connects Deeply with Los Alamos
There are few places more meaningful for this film to be shown than Los Alamos, where the atomic age was shaped and where so much of this history still resonates. For local audiences, The Cosmic Trigger is not just a documentary about mystery in the desert — it is a film tied to the legacy, questions, and history of this region.
That makes this SALA premiere especially meaningful: a chance to experience the film on the big screen here in Los Alamos, to see it for the first time at SALA, and to hear directly from the filmmaker about the research, the story, and what drew him to this subject.
About Larry L. Sheffield
Larry L. Sheffield is an award-winning filmmaker whose work has earned 33 national and international film festival awards. His films, including The Atomic Rocketeer, Oppenheimer After Trinity, and Alamogordo: Center of the World – Trinity 1945, have explored important chapters of New Mexico’s atomic and aerospace history through archival research, visual storytelling, and firsthand accounts.
His return to SALA continues an ongoing connection with Los Alamos audiences who have already experienced his earlier films here.
Screening Information
The Cosmic Trigger
- SALA Los Alamos Event Center
- Friday, May 8 — 7 p.m.
- Saturday, May 9 — 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Live Q&A with filmmaker Larry L. Sheffield
Buy Tickets Now
Come experience this new documentary on the big screen and stay for a conversation with the filmmaker.
Visit http://www.thecosmictrigger.com to know more about the film.