VladimirKhotinenko's 72 Metres, about a Russian submarine crew strandedbelow sea, has won the best film prize at the Golden Eagles, Russia'sequivalent of the Oscars.

Theannual awards ceremony was presided over by its founder and Russian Oscarwinner, Nikita Mikhalkov.

Controversially,Russian blockbuster Nightwatch failed to score a nomination in the bestfilm category. Produced by First Channel, Nightwatch is thehighest grossing film in Russian history with over $16m at the box office lastyear and is also Russia's submission to the foreign language category of theOscars.

Thewinning film was also produced by First Channel together with Mikhalkov's ThreeT Studios. Both films were distributedlocally by Gemini Film.

Other nominees for Best Film were Pavel Chukhrai's ADriver For Vera, Valery Todorovsky's My Stepbrother Frankenstein,Vladimir Mashkov's Papa and Dmitry Meskhiyev's Ours.

The best director prize was awarded to Valerie Todorovsky,best actress went to Alyona Babenko for A Driver For Vera and best actorto Sergei Garmash for Ours.

Thehighlight of the evening, held the massive sound stage at Mosfilm Studio, wasthe presentation of the Contribution to World Cinema Art award to American filmdirector, producer and scriptwriter Francis Ford Coppola. Earlier in the day, Coppola met with Russianpresident Vladimir Putin.