As the latest Bond movie Quantum Of Solace is launched worldwide, the Russiansare hatching their very own spy franchise.

Here at the AFM,Moscow-based Central Partnership is introducing buyers to spy movie ManOf The East, starring Sergey Astakhov and Vladimir Epifantsev. Thefilm chronicles the adventures of Russian special intelligence agentYegor Kremnyov. It involves fugitive oligarchs, western crimesyndicates and top-secret papers.

Also on Central Partnership's AFM slate is thriller The Ghost, starringKonstantin Khabensky (Day Watch, Night Watch, Wanted), which screenedrecently in Toronto.

Another forthcoming Central Partnership title is Valery Todorvsky's $15m Boogie Bones. The film, touted asRussia's first musical, is being given a 1,000-screen release in theCIS in December. It will head the company's Berlin sales slate.

Meanwhile, a groundbreaking deal has been signed between CentralPartnership and the national rail carrier, Russian Railways (RZD).Russian train passengers traveling across the Steppes will now soonhave the chance to see Central Partnership movies.

Central Partnershipwon a tender called by the Federal Passenger Board, a business unit ofRussian Railways, and the latter acquired the rights for publicon-board screening of 22 Russian movies. Russian Railways passengerswill have a chance to watch titles like Wolfhound, Shadow Boxing2: Revenge, art-house movies like Mermaid and Rabbit Over The Void,melodramas like Infidelity and Listening to Silence and others.