Santa Monica, U.S.A. – Lionsgate and its Grindstone Entertainment Group and Emmett/Furla Films, a prolific producer of filmed entertainment featuring some of the leading actors and filmmakers in the industry, have renewed their slate deal for another 10 films and expanded their overall relationship, the companies recently announced.

The Grindstone collaboration with Emmett/Furla and Cheetah Vision has generated a string of successful features starring notable A list actors, including: the thriller ‘Set up’, starring Bruce Willis, Ryan Phillippe and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson; the crime drama ‘Freelancers’, starring Robert DeNiro and Forrest Whitaker; the high octane ‘Fire with fire’, starring Willis, Josh Duhamel, Rosario Dawson and Vincent D’Onofrio; and the serial killer thriller ‘The Frozen Ground’, starring Nicolas Cage and John Cusack. The next film slated for release from Grindstone’s partnership with Emmett/Furla is the crime thriller ‘Empire State’, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, ‘The Hunger Games’ Liam Hemsworth and Emma Roberts.

“Grindstone has been an important supplier of content for our filmed entertainment business in recent years, and their pipeline of commercially exciting, quality films from Emmett/Furla has been a key element of their success,” said Lionsgate Co-Chief Operating Officer and Motion Picture Group President Steve Beeks. “Grindstone’s partnership with Emmett/Furla is based on successful film distribution models that have achieved a consistent level of profitability and established Grindstone as an important brand in filmed entertainment.”

“Our partnership with Emmett/Furla is on a roll, and we’re delighted to extend our agreement for another 10 films,” said Grindstone President Barry Brooker. “Randall Emmett and George Furla are among the most prolific producers of films in the world today, and they combine a strong financial sensibility and a natural eye for great filmmaking. The Emmett/Furla name is recognizable among audiences worldwide as a reliable source of exciting and entertaining films and is trusted by our distribution partners as a brand that consistently meets expectations and delivers results.”

“We have partnered with the Lionsgate family on films for more than 10 years, and we’re thrilled to see our partnership continue to grow with their success,” said Emmett/Furla’s Randall Emmett and George Furla. “Lionsgate is one of the most exciting, innovative and entrepreneurial entertainment companies in the world, and we’re delighted to bring our longstanding relationship with Steve Beeks, Barry Brooker and the rest of the Lionsgate team to the next level.”

Emmett/Furla has partnered with Lionsgate on such theatrical films as ‘Rambo’, ‘Wonderland’, ‘Narc’ and ‘A love song for Bobby long’, and they are producing the action thriller ‘The tomb’, starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, for nationwide theatrical release by the Lionsgate family next year.

The deal was negotiated by Beeks for Lionsgate, Brooker and Stan Wertlieb for Grindstone and Emmett for Emmett/Furla.

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Santa Monica, U.S.A. – Music’s Biggest Night, the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, returns to Los Angeles’ Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, and will air live on the CBS Television Network from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The eligibility year for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards is Oct. 1, 2011, to Sept. 30, 2012.

Additionally, “The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! – Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night ” – which officially kicks off Grammy season by revealing nominations in several categories while featuring unique performances with past Grammy winners and/or nominees – will air live on CBS Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2012. For Grammy coverage, updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy’s social networks on Twitter and Facebook.

Grammy Week – a weeklong series of cultural events culminating in Music’s Biggest Night – will again feature celebrations of music, education and philanthropy, including Grammy Camp – Basic Training, the Entertainment Law Initiative luncheon, the Producers & Engineers Wing event, the Grammy Foundation’s Music Preservation Event, the annual MusiCares Person of the Year tribute, the Special Merit Awards Ceremony, and Clive Davis and The Recording Academy’s Pre-Grammy Gala, among others.

The Grammy Awards telecast is one of television’s major broadcast events, ranking as one of the highest-rated and most-watched specials. Ratings for the Grammy Awards have continued to soar over the last several years, with the 54th Annual Grammy Awards attracting 39.9 million viewers, the largest Grammy audience since 1984 and the second largest in history.

The telecast was the highest-rated awards show of the season, and the biggest social event in the history of television. The awards drew 13 million social media comments with the conversation on Twitter reaching a record high at 160,341 tweets per minute during the live telecast.

Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the Grammy Awards – the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music – The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs.

The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit.

Image Courtesy of  The GRAMMYs

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Los Angeles, U.S.A - Twenty years after a vacant manufacturing warehouse site in Santa Monica was transformed into the bustling hub of Southern California’s art scene, Bergamot Station’s pioneering developers have been enlisted by the City of Los Angeles to create the nation’s largest permanent indoor crafts market in two enormous World War II-era warehouses at the Port of Los Angeles, creating a landmark arts center in the middle of the city’s new billion-dollar Waterfront redevelopment.

Crafted at the port of Los Angeles, the new venture created by arts entrepreneur Wayne Blank, and his partners Howard Robinson and Alison Zeno will open to the public on June 29 and will create an arts-based destination that will complement other major new Waterfront attractions, including the inauguration of the new U.S.S. Iowa battleship museum, opening July 7, and on-going enhancements to Waterfront parks and promenades.

Similar to the successful Bergamot Station project, Crafted is an adaptive re-use of industrial buildings that makes use of the existing structures’ Spartan lines, soaring ceilings and sense of abundant space to create an ideal showcase for the handmade one-of-a-kind products that will be the new center’s stock in trade.

The Harbor City commission overseeing the Port of Los Angeles re-development envisions Crafted as a destination for the influx of tourists who annually flow through the nearby World Cruise Center and for the ever-growing legion of local craft enthusiasts. Nearly at capacity for its’ first phase with over 100 accepted vendors, Crafted is expected to draw half a million visitors in its first full year of operation.

Crafted, a key element of the new L.A. Waterfront is bringing hand-made happiness 52-weekends a year to the bustling beachside. The L.A. Waterfront is Southern California’s most exciting new destination for family fun. The 1.2 billion-dollar redevelopment is taking shape against the stunning backdrop of the Port of Los Angeles.

In addition to Crafted, which will be the nation’s largest permanent indoor craft marketplace, the new L.A. Waterfront features the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, the Los Angeles Maritime Museum and the historic battleship U.S.S. Iowa. The L.A. Waterfront offers exciting opportunities for Southern California residents and world-wide visitors alike to explore, play, shop and dine.

Image Courtesy of   Crafted at the port of los angeles

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Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, announced the winners of its four Spirit Awards filmmaker grants today at its annual Spirit Awards Nominee Brunch held at BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood. Mark Duplass and Sarah Paulson hosted the casual event and handed out the honors.

Winners for the remaining categories will be revealed at the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards in a tent at Santa Monica beach on Saturday, February 25, 2012. The awards ceremony will premiere later that evening at 10:00 P.M. ET/PT on IFC, and as previously announced actor, writer, and producer, Seth Rogen, will serve as host of the ceremony.

“We’re so appreciative to Audi of America, Nokia, Piaget, and Jameson Irish Whiskey for funding cash prizes as part of the 2012 Film Independent Spirit Awards. In addition to industry recognition the Spirit Awards provides, this kind of direct financial support makes a meaningful difference. It allows our grant winners to pay some bills as they take the next natural step in their careers, and it brings extra attention to their compelling and provocative stories,” said Co-President Josh Welsh.

“At Film Independent, we exist to provide a community for independent filmmakers, and the brunch is one way we bring together current and past Spirit Award nominees to, first celebrate them, but also to introduce them to one another prior to the awards ceremony.

The event especially shines a spotlight on the talented group of emerging film artists, selected by our blue-ribbon committees, who should be on the radar of the film industry. The grant nominees and winners are part of the next generation of filmmakers we expect to inspire film lovers for years to come,” said Co-President Sean Mc Manus.

Mark Jackson, director of ‘Without,’ received the Audi Someone to Watch Award, which recognizes a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition. The award, which is in its eighteenth year, includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Audi of America. The finalists for the award included Simon Arthur for ‘Silver Tongues’ and Nicholas Ozeki for ‘Mamitas’.

Heather Courtney, director of ‘Where Soldiers Come From’ received the Nokia Truer Than Fiction Award, which is presented to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not received significant recognition. The award is in its seventeenth year and includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Nokia. Danfung Dennis for ‘Hell and Back Again’ and Alma Har’el for ‘Bombay Beach’ were also finalists for the award.

Sophia Lin, producer of ‘Take Shelter’ received the Piaget Producers Award, which honors emerging producers who, despite highly limited resources demonstrate the creativity, tenacity, and vision required to produce quality, independent films. The annual award, in its fifteenth year, includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant funded by Piaget. Finalists were Chad Burris for ‘Mosquita Y Mari’ and Josh Mond for ‘Martha Marcy May Marlene’.

Benjamin Murray and Alysa Nahmias for ‘Unfinished Spaces’ received the second annual Jameson FIND Your Audience Award, which helps one low-budget independent film find a broader audience. The award included a $40,000 marketing and distribution grant funded by Jameson Irish Whiskey.

The other finalists were Cara Marcous for ‘On the Ice’ and Sheldon Larry for ‘Leave It On The Floor’. The nominating committee was composed of publicist and Film Independent Board Member, Laura Kim, filmmaker Scott Macaulay, and CrowdStarter’s Liz Ogilvie.

cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

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Emma Watson and Johnny Simmons may be the perfect match. Watson and Simmons are co-stars in the upcoming film, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”.

People magazine said that Watson was seen with his supposed lover dining together and sharing kisses before entering the restaurant. Despite sources in media and press confirm the two stars are romantically involved, Emma Watson insisted that every rumour is untrue.

“This is completely untrue and we have no idea where these rumours have stemmed from,” Watson said according to Celebuzz. Harry Potter’s star also affirmed she just had a good friendship with her co-worker.

The entire buzz came up since they were seen hiking together in the Pennsylvannia countryside.  Rumours began to increase while they were filming the movie “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Stephen Chbosky.

Sources on the website hollywoodlife.com stated that both co-stars were actually in love, and they have reported unnamed sources saying that Emma Watson and Johnny Simmons “have really fallen for one another and both aren’t dating anyone else.”

Furthermore, the same sources on hollywoodlife.com affirmed Emma was thinking of moving to Los Angeles. Press began to create stories about Watson’s relationship after she claimed her non-existent love life in an interview with the Sunday Times:

“I say to my friends, “Why hasn’t X called me? Why doesn’t anyone ever pursue me?They’re like, probably because they’re intimidated,” Watson said.

In another interview with Vogue magazine, Watson said she used to share love advice with Daniel Radcliff, her co-star in Harry Potter. “It must be the fame wall. It must be the circus that goes around me. Me, as a person, I find it hard to believe I would be intimidating,” Watson said.

It seems Watson has finally found a man “who isn’t terrified of her.” Johnny Simons and Emma Watson were spotted embracing in Los Angeles. Now there is no doubt the co-stars are involved as they were locked together in a romantic moment outside a restaurant in Santa Monica. More sources confirmed Johnny spent the night with Emma at the upmarket house in Santa Monica where she has been staying with friends.

A source said: “-‘they might have denied it before but they don’t seem to be trying to hide it now.”’-

Another friend of Watson’s said “Emma loves how down-to-earth and normal Johnny is. He’s very charming and sweet.”’-

Simmons has a past that is difficult to forget. He was arrested at 19 years old in May 2006 for going 80 mph in a 65 mph zone. Two days after that he was arrested again for being in a possession of alcohol below the legal age of 21. He received a lot of criticism when he played a drug addict in The Greatest.Despite this, a witness told The Daily Mail:

-“They were all over each other, kissing and hugging. It was very sweet to see. She looked utterly besotted. A girl recognised her and approached her.”-

-“Emma was polite and acknowledged her, but she just wanted to be with Johnny and was clearly under his spell. They’re obviously head-over-heels in love.”-

In spite of the rumours saying that Watson was thinking to move to Los Angeles, Harry Potter’s actress recently announced she will attend Oxford University this autumn in an exchange year from her studies at Brown University in the US.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/23489340@N04/

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