Lions' Gate
By the end of 2004, LIFT had over 500 employees on payroll and had entered into long-term production and distribution contracts with independent powerhouse Lions' Gate Entertainment. The partnership gained immediate box-office success with major releases, such as the comedy-classic "Waiting...", and critical acclaim with art-house offerings such as "Bug" starring Ashley Judd, which earned legendary director Billy Friedkin the coveted Director's Award at the Cannes Film Festival. That year, LIFT had produced almost $75,000,000 in locally financed production and was on track to double that in 2005 with more than 30 productions.