From November 29, 2007 June 1, 2008, domestic distribution companies grossed a total of $382.4 million in the CIS. Box office results for the first six months of the 2008 box office year soared 38,2% compared with the same period last year ($276.6 million). In the first half  of the box office year 2008, there were 56,236,107 admissions sold in the CIS. This result is only 3.7% more than the one of the first six months of box office year 2007, when total admissions numbered 54,235,294.

Russian distributors theatrically released 186 films, 58 of which were in limited release of no more than 30 screens. In the first half of 2007, there were 161 films released, 49 of which were limited releases of no more than 25 screens. As of June 1, 2008, 77 films had earned more than $1 million (as of May 27, 2007, there were 55 such films). Thirteen films were released to 500 or more screens, while last year there were six. Four films were released to more than 700 screens in the first half of 2008. Last year, there was only one such wide release – Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (BVSPR), which came out on 703 screens.

According to forecasts by Russia Film Business Today, Total CIS box office will be $750 million – $770 million.

The lion’s share (25.4%) of box office receipts for the first half of 2008, $97.13 million, went to 20^th Century Fox CIS. Caro Premier / Caroprokat  was not far behind (22.1%) with $84.72 million. UPI and BVSPR earned almost two times less (11.3% and 10.5% respectively), with $43.22 million and $39.97 million respectively, but their biggest releases still lie ahead. In fifth place (8.0%) was Central Partnership and its and arthouse division CP Classic, which earned a total of $30.51. million. Paradise was next – far behind the leaders with 4.2% and $16 million. West was in seventh place (3.0%) having grossed $11.73 million. Next came Cascade (2.9%) with $11.3 million. In ninth and tenth places (2.6% each) were the companies Top Film and Nashe Kino, which earned $10.14 million and $9.94 million respectively. Other companies (7.4%) grossed a total of $28.86 million.

As compared with the first six months of 2007, three companies ramped their grosses considerably – 20^th Century Fox CIS (85.7%), West (28.9%) and UPI (27.3%), while earnings at two companies were down drastically – at Lizard (-84.1%) and Central Partnership / CP Classic (-47.1%). Other companies had relatively minor losses: Nashe Kino (-29.1%), Cascade (-016.5%). Paradise (-14.3%) and BVSPR (-7.7%).

The highest grossing Russian film in the first half of 2008 was the New Year’s romantic comedy Irony of Fate: The Sequel (20^th Century Fox CIS), which grossed $49.91 million and the highest-grossing foreign film was Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (UPI) with $14.05 million. The highest-grossing European film was Asterix at the Olympic Games (Central Partnership) with $9.09 million. The highest-grossing Asian film was D-War (Central Partnership) with $2.25 million. The leader in limited release was the melodrama My Blueberry Nights (CP Classic), which grossed $517,126 from 10 screens.