Moscow (Russian Film Business Today) — For the fiscal year from November 25, 2004 to November 30, 2005, total CIS box office was $349 mln (including $32 mln in Ukraine). This is 30.2% higher than the 2004 figure, when total box office was $268 mln (including Ukraine). This year, 83,636,977 admissions were sold in the CIS (excluding Ukraine) (67,428,571 were sold in 2004).
In 2005, a total of 320 films were released. 103 films were shown in limited release (no more than 10 prints each), which includes some IMAX titles. Each film yielded an average of $1,090,625 in admissions (in 2004, the average was $937,063). 94 films crossed the $1 mln mark including Ukraine box office (in 2004, 77 films had this distinction). Four blockbusters (Company 9, Turkish Gambit, War of the Worlds and Mr. and Mrs. Smith) grossed more than $10 mln (in 2004, there were three such films).

The 14 leading distributors (the activities of each are described in detail below) each earned more than $1 mln in profits. Specifically these distributors had 98.3% of gross CIS box office in 2005 — $311 745 000, not including Ukraine. The rest of the distributors (about 16 companies) earned a total of only $5,255,000 (1.7%).
Gemini Film came out on top this year (after being in second place last year), netting $77,232,000 (24.4%). This is 50.3% more than the company netted in 2004 ($51.4 mln with Ukraine included). Gemini’s highest grossing film this past year was Company 9, which grossed $23.6 mln ($25.6 mln including Ukraine) and which is also the highest grossing film ever in the CIS.

UIP took second place (fifth place in 2004) with $52 120 000 (16.4%), which was 72.6% more than the company earned in 2004 ($30.2 mln including Ukraine). UIP’s biggest cash cow this year was War of the Worlds, with which the company netted $10.18 mln ($11.78 mln including Ukraine), and the animated feature Madagascar, which grossed $7.59 mln ($8.58 mln including Ukraine) was the highest grossing animated film ever in the CIS.
Cascade was third (also third in 2004) with $46,597,000 (14.7%), or 1.1% than the company made in 2004 ($46.1 mln not including Ukraine). Cascade’s highest grossing film this past year was National Treasure, which grossed $5.33 mln.
Caro Premier slid down to fourth place (after being first in 2004) with $37,388,000 (11.8%). This is 31.9% less than the distributor earned in 2004 ($54.9 mln including Ukraine). Caro’s highest grosser was the Russian historical detective yarn The State Councillor, which grossed $7.44 mln and was Caro’s highest grossing domestic release to date.

Central Partnership/CP Classics was in fifth place and was the highest-earning independent distributor. The company netted $36,505, 000 (11.5%), which was 13% better than in 2004 ($32.3 mln not including Ukraine). For the first time in the company’s history, they had a $10 mln hit in Mr. And Mrs. Smith, which grossed $10.1 mln including Ukraine.
Sixth place and second among independent distributors was Paradise with $19,090,000 (6%). This 35.4% more than this distributor netted in 2004 ($14.1 mln not including Ukraine). Paradise’s biggest hit ever was Oliver Stone’s sword-and-sandal epic Alexander, which grossed $7.96 mln.

The company West came in seventh (sixth in 2004) and third among independent distributors, with $12,749,000 (4%). This is 25.4% worse than the company’s results for 2004 ($17.1 mln including Ukraine). Their most loyal golden goose was Terry Gilliam’s phantasmagorical fantasy The Brothers Grimm, which brought $3.22 mln.
Next came Caroprokat, a new arm of Caro Film that releases only Russian films, with $8,005,000 (2.5%). Their first-ever release, the actioner Velvet Revolution, yielded phenomenal results — $6.86 mln.
Nashe Kino, another specialty distributor of only Russian films, was ninth this year as well as in 2004. It netted $7,120,000 (2.2%), which was 103.4% more than in 2004 ($3.5 mln including Ukraine). The crime comedy Blind Man’s Bluff (Zhmurki) took $4.18 mln, making it the highest grossing film ever for this distributor.

Gelvars rounds out the list of top ten distributors with a take of $4,800,000 (1.6%), the lion’s share of which was earned by the Russian action comedy Jacked ($3.08 mln).
Pyramid, which was in eight place in 2004, was in eleventh place this year with $3,632,000 (1.2%). This is 17.3% less than the company earned in 2004 ($4.5 mln not including Ukraine). The Bruce Willis actioner Hostage, which grossed $1.17 mln, was Pyramid’s highest earner.
Luxor fell from eleventh place last year to twelfth place this year with $2,845,000 (0.9%). Nevertheless, this was 13.8% more than the company earned in 2004 ($2.5 mln). The Russian teen comedy Mechtat’ Ne Vredno, which earned more than $470,000, was Luxor’s top film.

Lizard crawled into thirteenth place (tenth place last year), earning almost the same as it did last year — $2,575,000 (0.8%). The Jackie Chan chop-socky sequel New Police Story, which took $700,000, was their highest-earning release in 2005.
Next came the company EA Cinema, with $1,085,000 (0.3%), which re-started its film distribution activity with the eerie thriller Exorcist: The Begining, which took $550,000.
Total gross of the 62 Russian films released in 2005 was $94 mln (29.7% of the CIS total box office gross not including Ukraine), which is 189.2% more than in 2004 ($32.5 mln including Ukraine).
The best opening in 2005 was for director Fyodor Bondarchuk’s war drama Company 9 (Gemini), which took $5,036,479 from 361 prints in its opening weekend. The best opening for a limited release was Jim Jarmusch’s Broken Flowers (CP Classics), which grossed $325,711 from five prints.