Violet Crown rebrands to Sky Cinemas, signs lease for second Santa Fe location

The local company behind Violet Crown, the popular independent movie theater in Santa Fe, has rebranded to Sky Cinemas and the owners have plans for a second location in Midtown.

Sky Cinemas, owned by Bill Banowsky, will open its Sky Midtown location by October, just in time to be a host venue for the Santa Fe International Film Festival. The Railyard theater will go by Sky Railyard, the company announced in a Thursday news release.

Formerly The Screen, Sky Midtown is located on the campus where the Santa Fe University of Art and Design once resided. The newly renovated location will offer 4K laser projection, two screens, sound systems and luxury seating according to a news release.

The Midtown location will focus on showing independent releases, foreign language films and documentaries, classics and the occasional blockbuster.

“Sky Midtown will be a spectacular screening and event venue and a wonderful addition to the cinema landscape of this city,” Banowsky said.

The new venue will house a second Sky Coffee location in its lobby, also owned by Banowsky. He said the shop will open and serve items in the morning, allowing the theater to begin showing movies earlier.

Sky Railyard, originally Violet Crown, will get new seating in late July to match the Midtown location, but other than that and a new name, Banowsky said “nothing will change at the beloved venue.”

“We built that cinema 10 years ago and we have constantly invested in the building, so it’s in very good condition,” he told the Journal.

Both Sky Cinemas locations will continue accepting Violet Crown gift cards. Banowsky declined to comment on renovation costs for both theaters.

He and his wife opened the first Violet Crown in 2011 in Austin, Texas, eventually opening locations in Santa Fe, Dallas, and Charlottesville, Virginia.

In 2023, the couple sold their Texas and Virginia locations, as well as the Violet Crown brand, to EVO Entertainment Group. After moving to New Mexico, Banowsky said maintaining projects in different states became a burden. He did, however, retain the right to keep the original name in Santa Fe during the transition period.

This May, Banowsky and his wife celebrated the Santa Fe Violet Crown’s 10th anniversary.

“After that, it became the natural time to change the name,” Banowsky said.

The Sky Cinemas name honors Banowsky’s existing Sky Coffee shop in the Railyard and Sky Railway, which he started in 2019 with author George R.R. Martin. The Banowsky-owned Nuckolls Brewing Co. — opening a location in Angel Fire next month — also sits in the Railyard.

“Santa Fe is now our home, and New Mexico is home to all of our businesses,” Banowsky said in a statement. “We are excited to be part of the city’s effort to revive the Midtown campus as a mecca for the arts and artists.”