Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation (commonly referred to as Lionsgate) is a Canadian-American entertainment company. The company was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, but is headquartered in Santa Monica, California. As of 2007, it is the most commercially successful independent film and television distribution company in North America.
Lionsgate was founded in 1995 by Frank Giustra, a Canadian investment banker hoping to capitalize on the growing film industry in his home town. The company bought a number of small production facilities and distributors, including Montreal-based Cinepix Film Productions (CFP), Trimark Pictures, Mandate Pictures and, most notably, Artisan Entertainment (which itself had formerly been LIVE Entertainment, and before that, Vestron Pictures).
They had sold off their Canadian distribution rights to Maple Pictures, founded and co-owned by two former Lionsgate executives, Brad Pelman and Laurie May.
Its first major box office success was American...