SALA Los Alamos Unveils April Calendar Packed With Films, Family Nights

Sandy Jones, director of the 2026 Los Alamos Film & Culture Festival, has set April 17-19 as the anchor for a month at SALA that includes at least seven free screenings, four consecutive sponsored teen nights, and a $25 three-day festival pass, the most access-oriented spring slate the event center has assembled.

The free programming opens tonight. SALA's Date Night screening of "How to Train Your Dragon" starts at 6 p.m. at no charge, followed Saturday morning by a PJs & Movies showing of "The Garfield Movie" at 9 a.m., sponsored by the Los Alamos Police Department. Those two zero-cost family events fall within 15 hours of each other, effectively handing parents a free weekend film block before April even completes its first week.

Teen nights run every Saturday in April from 7:30 to 11 p.m., with the feature screening free at 8:30 p.m. The lineup, underwritten by the Los Alamos Juvenile Justice Advisory Board, spans four Saturdays: "Megamind" on April 4, "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" on April 11, "Pretty in Pink" on April 18, and "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" on April 25. The range covers new releases alongside an 80s classic, and the free late entry makes them among the lowest-cost social nights available to high schoolers this month.

The regular New Reels program, sponsored by Casa Los Alamos and running Fridays through Sundays, opens the month with "Holy Days," "The Super Mario Galaxy Movie," and "A Great Awakening" through April 5, with additional titles carrying the run into mid-month. A free Faith & Community screening of "The Chosen" Season 5, Episode 7 is scheduled April 11 at 4 p.m., rounding out the free-entry calendar before the festival weekend begins.

Jones's Film & Culture Festival on April 17-19 represents the month's premium tier. The three-day run will include a short film showcase, a film panel, and filmmaker Q&A sessions with audience participation, at a three-day pass price of $25. Tickets are already available through SALA's online calendar ahead of the festival.

SALA's April schedule runs parallel to Dance Arts Los Alamos programming: DALA's Dessert Dance is set for April 3 at 6 p.m. at Fuller Lodge, and the DALA Spring Gala follows April 25 at 4:30 p.m. at 112 East Road, on the same weekend as SALA's final teen night of the month. The overlap gives downtown Los Alamos two separate arts draws on back-to-back spring weekends. Full showtimes and advance tickets are available at sala.losalamos.com.