'Day Watch' leads record Russian b.o.

January 30, 2007 The powerhouse producers behind Russia's distribution boom celebrated another record boxoffice and home entertainment sales year Monday night at the 10th annual industry Blockbuster Awards in Moscow, organized by trade weekly Russian Film Business Today. Sci-fi thriller "Day Watch" -- which opened 2006 with a stylish Jan. 1 Moscow premiere -- easily broke the ribbon for top-grossing film in Russia and the CIS former Soviet territories with a record boxoffice gross of more than $34 million. "Day Watch", directed by Kazakhstan-born Timur Bekhmambetov and a sequel to 2004's "Night Watch," also earned its producers, First Channel head Konstantin Ernst and his deputy Anatoli Maksimov, the Blockbuster producers of the year accolade at the awards ceremony held at Moscow's Renaissance Hotel.

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