Cinema-goers in the CzechRepublic spent $48m (CSK1.1bn) at the box office in 2004, a small increase on2003 figures of $47m (CZK1.08bn).

However, the number ofvisits to the cinema fell slightly - 2004 saw 12 million admissions, down from12.1 million in 2003. Average ticket prices rose from $3.9 to $4.

The figures indicate thatthe Czech market has stabilised since the slump of the 1990s when admissionsfell to 8.4 million in 1999.

The Lord Of The Rings:The Return of the King was thebiggest film of 2004 at the Czech box office, earning $3.5m (CZK80m). HarryPotter And The Prisoner of Azkaban was second with a $2.7m take, with Troythird on $2.5m.

Final figures published bythe Czech Union of Film Distributors (UFD) revealed that Falcon was the largestdistributor with 28.9% of box-office earnings, followed by Bontonfilm (26.4%)and Warner Bros (24.2%).