Business
Lone Peak Cinema celebrates 5 years of film and fun in Big Sky
Published
7 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBIG SKY – Lone Peak Cinema isn’t your ordinary movie theater. On a quiet Wednesday evening, two men enjoy a post-work beer at the theater’s bar with no intention of seeing a movie, and gradually multiply into a group of six as they are joined by other locals looking for a noisy bar scene alternative.
Two women arrive in a flurry to buy the first advance tickets for Warren Miller’s “Here, There and Everywhere,” which was screened on Wednesday, Nov. 23. Showing a ski film the day before Thanksgiving and opening day on the mountain was how Scott and Sally Fisher opened Lone Peak Cinema five years ago in November 2011, and has remained a tradition ever since.
Scott and Sally met in business school at University of Colorado Boulder. Born and raised in Vail, Colorado, Scott grew up on the slopes but it was Sally—for whom visiting her family’s home in Aspen from Chattanooga, Tennessee, was a much-anticipated treat—who reignited his passion for the sport.
“With Sally, I fell in love with skiing all over again like I did when I was a kid,” Scott said.
After college, Scott and Sally knew they didn’t want to stay in Colorado because of overcrowding, but still wanted a life in the mountains.
After graduation and a two-month trip to South America—climbing Machu Picchu and skiing in Argentina and Chile—the couple set out in search of their next mountain home. They stopped in Jackson, Wyoming, but couldn’t find a hotel and took it as a sign to move on. Then they thought Bridger Bowl would be their spot—until they came to Big Sky and saw Lone Mountain.
“We saw the Big Couloir and it was all filled in in June and we couldn’t believe it was a run,” Scott said. “And we just decided that we wanted to move here.”
That was 2007 and the Fishers got jobs as ski instructors at Big Sky Resort—Sally, who has a large, loyal client base, still teaches on the mountain—before getting the idea to open a movie theater during a road trip to Tennessee in 2010.
“We really love this community and we wanted to add to it,” Scott said. “We wanted to provide something that wasn’t already here and we had this idea—inspired by a movie theater in Aspen—and it kind of snowballed.”
The Fishers put together a business plan. While there was a positive response from the community, they couldn’t find a pre-existing structure that would work as a theater.
After sitting on their business plan for nearly a year, they got a call from Bill Simkins, who caught wind of their desire to open a theater. Simkins put the Fishers in touch with developer John Romney, who was about to break ground on one of the first commercial buildings built in Big Sky after the Great Recession.
“We were the anchor tenant,” Scott said. “We’re so lucky John built this place as a theater for us. We were very proud of taking the risk to try and start a business right after the recession and now there are all these businesses and people living here.”
With 40 to 80 percent of ticket sales going to the movie production companies and such large square footage, it requires a lot of hard work and innovation to sustain Lone Peak Cinema as a viable business. Again and again the Fishers come back to expressing gratitude to the community for making their dream possible.
“We are excited to reach this milestone,” Sally said of their five-year anniversary. “It’s been a lot of work; we are still scraping by. But we owe making it this far to the outstanding support from the year-round residents. We’d like to thank the locals for coming to movies, buying concessions from us, and letting their kids see the movies twice or more!”
Lone Peak Cinema celebrates five years of business all day on Monday, Dec. 5, with all things $5: movies, popcorn, beer, wine, cocktails, candy and more. The Fishers will also be giving away five movie passes.
Visit lonepeakcinema.com for a full schedule of show times.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Event Details
Thursday of the Lord’s Supper Mass
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Time
(Thursday) 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm