Attention #Leverage fans! “A Standard Story”, a short movie directed by our very own Beth Riesgraf, won at the Best Shorts Awards for Best of Show – Experimental Film, 2 awards of excellence for creativity/originality and (of course!) lead actress!

A Standard Story, experimental, is a dreamlike short film about a girl living a mundane existence in a hotel wakes to find herself in the middle of an enchanted forest. In this alternate universe she goes no a remarkable journey of discovery. It is a wonderfully original and carefully crafted film by a talented director/actress.  (source)

Watch it on youtbe: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcfK3uIoN28  or check out the embedded video below! And don’t forget to send your congratulations to Beth on twitter at @BethRiesgraf!

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Attention #Grifters! Can’t get enough of #Leverage? We’ve got you covered! Trifecta Entertainment & Media has now announced a two-year deal to bring your favorite caper show to the CBS-owned stations in 13 markets, beginning in Fall 2012.

LEVERAGE will air on weekends on WCBS-TV in New York, KCAL-TV/KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, WBBM-TV in Chicago, KYW-TV/WPSG-TV in Philadelphia, KTVT-TV/KTXA-TV in Dallas, KPIX-TV/KBCW-TV in San Francisco, WBZ-TV/WSBK-TV in Boston, WUPA-TV in Atlanta, WWJ-TV/WKBD-TV in Detroit, KSTW-TV in Seattle, WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, WPCW-TV in Pittsburgh and WJZ-TV in Baltimore. (source)

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Leverage’s very own mastermind, Oscar®-winner Timothy Hutton has been invited to  join the Woodstock Film Festival’s board of directors.

“I am thrilled and delighted to now be a member of the Board of Directors of the Woodstock Film Festival.” says Hutton. “I have always believed very strongly in this festival and feel very honored to be a part of its future”.

“We look forward to working closely with Tim,” commented co-founder and executive director Meira Blaustein. “His wealth of experience in the film industry, his talent and integrity, coupled with his business savvy and his genuine love of the Woodstock Film Festival make him a truly wonderful addition to our Board.”

This announcement comes in the wake of the 12th Annual Film Festival (Sept 21-25, 2011), during which Hutton participated as a Juror with Richard Abramowitz and Debra Granick for the Lee Marvin Award, given each year to the Best Feature Narrative. (read the full article HERE)

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Attention #Grifters! Your favorite TV-hacker Aldis Hodge has been tapped for a supporting role in Fox Searchlight’s The East, currently shooting in Louisiana. The eco-terrorist thriller is directed by Zal Batmanglij and centers around a contract worker who infiltrates an anarchist group, known as The East, and finds herself falling for its leader.

Aldis will play an ex-military member of the townspeople who is affiliated with the group.

You can read the full article (written by Sophie Schillaci) here! And don’t forget to tune in for the all-new Leverage episodes starting November 27th, on TNT.

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After an exceptional debut last year, this international event continues to be a true celebration of established and emerging talent and technologies in film, television and new media.

The Opening Night Honorary Awards Ceremony will take place Thursday, Oct. 20 at the Roosevelt Hotel, benefiting The Finaza Foundation. Celebrity honorees and attendees include our very own Aldis Hodge (Leverage) and Leverage guest star Drew Powell (Straw Dogs), as well as Cam Gigandet (Twilight), Kristin Bauer (True Blood),  Isabel Lucas (Transformers), Jena Malone (Sucker Punch), Josh Lawson (The Wedding Party), Missi Pyle, Maurice Benard, Michael Caulfield, Jon Lovitz, Morgan Fairchild, Tom Arnold, Amber Benson, Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, Kelly Osbourne and Ru Paul.

“We are thrilled to bring this vibrant Festival to Beverly Hills again,” said Donna Spangler, Festival Director. “After last year’s phenomenal success which exceeded all of our expectations, we know this is the ideal location for our Festival to discover, showcase, and celebrate the work of today’s up-and-comers, established professionals and tomorrow’s industry leaders.”  (http://bhfilmtvnewmedia.com/)

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Who of our fabulous cast has the sexiest voice? Your votes have been counted and our very own Hitter kicked the competition to the curb. Congratulations to Christian Kane, and a sincere thanks to all of you #Grifters and #Kaniacs for winning him the Entertainment Weekly Summer Sexiest Voice Award!

Check it out on EW’s official website!

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NEW YORK – September 7, 2011 – ION Television continues to expand its programming line-up with high-quality content with the acquisition of the popular TNT drama series, “Leverage” from Electric Entertainment. The announcement was made today by Brandon Burgess, CEO, ION Media Networks. ION Television, a top-10 rated network, has licensed the off-network rights to all seasons of “Leverage.” The series will begin airing on ION Television in summer 2012.

“We’re pleased to team up with Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment, which has distinguished itself by providing high caliber theatrical production standards for TV audiences,” says Burgess. “Collaborating with both Electric and Turner to support the longevity of a popular original drama, such as ‘Leverage,’ furthers our strategic goal to be a viable partner for cable network productions.”

“We are thrilled to join forces with ION Television, one of the largest broadcast television station groups in the country.  ION’s reach of over 99 million homes in the U.S. will ensure the continuation of the show’s legacy,” says Electric Entertainment Founder Dean Devlin. “We’re looking forward to working with such a pioneering and innovative company.”

Read the full release HERE

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“Trigger” is the first stage production of the newest branch of Electric Entertainment – Electric Footlights. Now on stage for a limited time only at the Second Stage Theater in Hollywood, “Trigger” is a dark comedy from Obie-Award winning playwright Kyle Jarrow.

Executive produced by and starring Lisa Brenner (The Patriot, Leverage ) and Michael Trucco (USA’s Fairly Legal, Battlestar Galactica) , “Trigger” will complete its run on Sunday, August 21st.

Click here to purchase tickets: brownpapertickets.com

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It’s official! TNT has renewed its fast-paced, light-hearted caper drama Leverage for a fifth season, just as the fourth season is shaping up to score the show’s biggest ratings yet. TNT has ordered 15 episodes of Leverage, with the fifth season slated to launch in summer 2012. The series – which centers on a gang of grifters, hackers and thieves out to settle scores against the rich and powerful – currently airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. (ET/PT). After the show’s Aug. 28 summer finale, Leverage will return to wrap up its fourth season with new episodes in November and December.

Leverage premiered in 2008 and has grown its audience in each of its four seasons. This summer, leading into TNT’s new blockbuster hit Falling Skies, Leverage has expanded its audience to more than 4.8 million viewers, up 10% over season three, with 1.9 million adults 18-49 (+6%) and 2.3 million adults 25-54 (+9%).

“While many shows decline in their second, third or fourth seasons, Leverage has defied the odds and continued to climb,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). “More and more viewers are discovering this weekly joy ride through wonderfully complex schemes and con games, all brought to life through smart writing, sharp directing and a terrific cast.”

Leverage stars Academy Award® winner Timothy Hutton as insurance-investigator-turned-thief Nate Ford, who makes it his mission to bring down those who use their power and wealth to victimize others. Also starring are Gina Bellman as brilliant grifter Sophie Devereaux, Christian Kane as retrieval specialist Eliot Spencer, Beth Riesgraf as slightly off-center thief Parker and Aldis Hodge as gadget and technology wizard Alec Hardison. Leverage is produced by Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment, with Dean Devlin and creators John Rogers and Chris Downey serving as executive producers.

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Attention #Grifters! It’s official: this sunday, at 8:30PM EST, you all will have a chance to chat with no one other than Beth Riesgraf (Parker) and Aldis Hodge (Hardison) before the east coast premiere of the all new LEVERAGE episode, “The Van Gogh Job”, guest starring Danny Glover.

The online video chat with Aldis and Beth will stream on TNT’s website at http://tnt.tv/chat; TNT’s mobile site at http://m.tnt.tv; and the LEVERAGE Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/LeverageOnTNT. For the entire duration of the episode, fans  can submit questions live on TNT.tv, the Leverage Facebook page or on Twitter via the hashtag #LEVCHAT.

For more info on the webchat, check out tnt.tv/chat! We will see you on Sunday!

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