The Works Media Group has also announced that Milcoz Films has made an equity investment of $1.6m (£763,097), bringing its stake to 29.9%.

Also, The Works UK Distribution continues its AFM deals by picking up UK rights to Mongol.

Production and finance company Milcoz is run by Costa Theo, who has been a non-executive director of The Works since first investing in the company in June.

The company said the new funding would be used to boost both film acquisitions for UK distribition as well as increasing sales volumes for its international sales business, The Works International.

Norman Humphrey, chief executive of The Works, said: 'Following the initial investment by Costa Theo and Milcoz in The Works in May of this year, we are delighted they have taken the opportunity to increase their investment in the company. We believe this represents a significant vote of confidence in our business model and our highly experienced management team.'

Sergei Bodrov's $20m epic Mongol about the early life of Genghis Khan is sold by Beta Cinema. Beta's Andreas Rothbauer negotiated the deal with Laurence Gornall of The Works.

The Mongolian-language epic is the Kazakhstan entry for the foreign-language Oscars.

Mongol recently made $2.5m in its opening weekend in Russia.

Beta has also sold the film to North America (Picturehouse), France (Metropolitan), Benelux (Lumiere), Germany (X-Verleih), Italy (BIM), Scandinavia (Svensk), Portugal (LNK), Poland (Monolith), Russia (Nasche Kino), Czech Republic/Slovakia (Bonton), FYROM (Blitz), Hungary (Best Hollywood), Greece (Artfree), Turkey (Chantier), Romania (Prorom), Bulgaria (Radi Od), Middle East (Italia), Israel (Lev/Shani), Brazil (Europa), Mexico (Quality), Colombia (Cinecolombia), Australia/New Zealand (Hopscotch), and Thailand (J-Bics).

The Works will release theatrically in 2008.

Gornall said: 'This is a hotly anticipated title and will be a cornerstone of our release schedule for 2008.'

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