Lionsgate'sCrash has become the first filmto be honoured with the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights' (LCCR) 2006Hubert Humphrey Civil Rights Award.

"When I saw Crash I was deeplymoved not just by the powerful portrayal of the racial, ethnic and classtensions in our society, but because the characters and situations felt soreal," LCCR executive director Wade Henderson said.

"It is a powerful, gut-wrenching, full-frontal examination of race and class inAmerica," he added. "It is about the difficulties of being a successful blackprofessional or a hard-working Latino dad and the prejudices they still endure.Like Martin Luther King 40 years ago, Crash speaks to America's current generation."

"We are proud to be the distributors of Crash, a film which has truly taken on a life of its ownand which has impacted so many along the way," Lionsgate Releasing chief TomOrtenberg said.

"We're honoured by the LCCR's recognition with this prestigious award."

"This recognition reinforces the view that critically acclaimed movies byindependent filmmakers not only address important societal issues, but canattract an audience that values and supports such films," Independent Film andTelevision Alliance president and chief executive officer Jean Prewitt said.

LCCR's annual dinner is scheduled to take place in Washington DC on May 4 2006.