Raleigh Studios

The LA WineFest takes the laudable impulse toward drinking lots of wine and tries to wring some education out of it. Geared toward consumers looking to broaden their palates, the fest will showcase a variety of wines, artisanal beers and spirits alongside panels and discussions to help demystify the culture of good booze. Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose Ave., L.A. Sat.-Sun., various times. $75 per day. http://www.lawinefest.com

On the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, a 75-acre former communist-era studio will soon draw a contingent of Hollywood heavies including Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The testosterone-heavy ensemble will gather at Nu Boyana Film Studios on Sept. 19 to begin filming the second installment of "The Expendables," the hit movie about an elite group of mercenaries that garnered $275 million at the box office last year.

Raleigh Studios is building a new studio complex, but you won't be able to get there on the 101. The Hollywood-based company, the largest independent studio operator in the U.S., runs studios in Hollywood, Manhattan Beach and Louisiana, and now is expanding in a big way into Eastern Europe. The company is set to open nine sound stages totaling 180,907 square feet on the outskirts of Budapest, Hungary, this spring to take advantage of the country's low-cost labor and film tax credits.

The LA WineFest takes the laudable impulse toward drinking lots of wine and tries to wring some education out of it. Geared toward consumers looking to broaden their palates, the fest will showcase a variety of wines, artisanal beers and spirits alongside panels and discussions to help demystify the culture of good booze. Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose Ave., L.A. Sat.-Sun., various times. $75 per day. http://www.lawinefest.com

"Peace, It's All About Respect!!," a play dealing with racism, sexism and violence, will be performed at noon today at Raleigh Studios, 5500 Melrose Ave. Admission is free. The play, which has been touring Los Angeles County for a little over a year, is directed by Deirdre M. Smith. Information: (310) 358-9089.

Hollywood friends of Jenifer Estess overflowed Raleigh Studios recently to support her new charity, Project ALS. The 37-year-old former publicist and theater/film producer contracted the neurological condition, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, two years ago.

On the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, a 75-acre former communist-era studio will soon draw a contingent of Hollywood heavies including Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The testosterone-heavy ensemble will gather at Nu Boyana Film Studios on Sept. 19 to begin filming the second installment of "The Expendables," the hit movie about an elite group of mercenaries that garnered $275 million at the box office last year.

EVENTS Taste more than 500 wines from more than 13 countries at the L.A. Wine Fest, which over two days will also feature presentations and classes on spirits, wine pairings and more. Some of L.A.'s master sommeliers will be on hand to talk about the wines. Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose Ave., Hollywood. 2-6:30 p.m.Sat.-Sun. $30-$65. (818) 994-4661. http://www.lawinefest.com.

Independent film, TV and commercial studio Raleigh Studios signed a five-year agreement to manage the new Manhattan Beach Studios being built in the South Bay by a group led by Roy E. Disney's Shamrock Holdings. The 14-stage lot, being built to satisfy the growing demand for sound stages, is anchored by 20th Century Fox and will be home to "Ally McBeal" and other shows.

Michigan isn't exactly Kansas, but anything's possible in the world of Oz — and film tax credits. Walt Disney Studios confirmed Friday that its upcoming film "Oz" — a prequel to the 1939 classic "The Wizard of Oz" — will be filmed in Michigan after all. The movie, directed by Sam Raimi, has a production budget of more than $150 million and would be the largest feature film to ever shoot in Michigan. The project's fate had been uncertain after Michigan's Republican Gov. Rick Snyder recently proposed a big cut in the state's film tax credit program to balance the budget.

Michigan isn't exactly Kansas, but anything's possible in the world of Oz — and film tax credits. Walt Disney Studios confirmed Friday that its upcoming film "Oz" — a prequel to the 1939 classic "The Wizard of Oz" — will be filmed in Michigan after all. The movie, directed by Sam Raimi, has a production budget of more than $150 million and would be the largest feature film to ever shoot in Michigan. The project's fate had been uncertain after Michigan's Republican Gov. Rick Snyder recently proposed a big cut in the state's film tax credit program to balance the budget.

Crime scene investigator Ryan Wolfe peers around the corner of a building, spying on an ex-con and some neighborhood toughs. When the group disappears down the alley, Wolfe chases after his target, who clambers over a metal gate and into apartment complex in Miami's Little Havana. At least, that's what the script says. In reality, Wolfe, played by Jonathan Togo, was acting out the scene Monday afternoon in downtown Long Beach at the corner of 1st Street and Lime Avenue. The scene was for the 19th episode of the current season of "CSI: Miami," the long-running CBS series starring David Caruso that has made Long Beach its home, even though it's some 2,300 miles from Florida's most populous city.

EVENTS Taste more than 500 wines from more than 13 countries at the L.A. Wine Fest, which over two days will also feature presentations and classes on spirits, wine pairings and more. Some of L.A.'s master sommeliers will be on hand to talk about the wines. Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose Ave., Hollywood. 2-6:30 p.m.Sat.-Sun. $30-$65. (818) 994-4661. http://www.lawinefest.com.

Few comic book characters are as homespun as Captain America, who uses his superhuman powers to fight the Nazis during World War II while draped in the colors of Old Glory. Yet even Captain America's overtly patriotic credentials weren't enough to keep a film about his exploits from being shot overseas. The upcoming movie from Marvel Studios was originally to be filmed in Los Angeles. Instead, "Captain America: The First Avenger," starring Chris Evans, Samuel Jackson and Hugo Weaving, will shoot this July in London, where the story is partially set. That decision was a blow to L.A.'s below-the-line community, which had been banking on the project to employ hundreds of crew members at a time when relatively few big-budget features are shot locally, thanks to rising competition from other states and countries.

Raleigh Studios is building a new studio complex, but you won't be able to get there on the 101. The Hollywood-based company, the largest independent studio operator in the U.S., runs studios in Hollywood, Manhattan Beach and Louisiana, and now is expanding in a big way into Eastern Europe. The company is set to open nine sound stages totaling 180,907 square feet on the outskirts of Budapest, Hungary, this spring to take advantage of the country's low-cost labor and film tax credits.

In welcome news for the sluggish local film production economy, Marvel Studios has reached an agreement to film four of its superhero movies at Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach. Marvel said it would shoot the sequel to its hit film "Iron Man" at Raleigh, in addition to "Thor," "First Avenger: Captain America" and "The Avengers." Those films are set for release in 2010 and 2011 and will be distributed through Paramount Pictures.

Few comic book characters are as homespun as Captain America, who uses his superhuman powers to fight the Nazis during World War II while draped in the colors of Old Glory. Yet even Captain America's overtly patriotic credentials weren't enough to keep a film about his exploits from being shot overseas. The upcoming movie from Marvel Studios was originally to be filmed in Los Angeles. Instead, "Captain America: The First Avenger," starring Chris Evans, Samuel Jackson and Hugo Weaving, will shoot this July in London, where the story is partially set. That decision was a blow to L.A.'s below-the-line community, which had been banking on the project to employ hundreds of crew members at a time when relatively few big-budget features are shot locally, thanks to rising competition from other states and countries.

When it comes to doing something to curb runaway film production, Raleigh Studios, believed to be the oldest continuously operating movie studio in Hollywood, is doing its share. Raleigh Enterprises, which bought the small, deteriorating studio in 1979, has been pumping millions of dollars into it for acquisition, renovation and construction.

A group of downtown developers is trying to achieve what many real estate professionals consider near impossible: putting downtown on the map of the entertainment industry. The developers, a group comprising Smith, Hricik and Munselle of Los Angeles, Hollywood Location Co. and Bristol Group Inc. of San Francisco, are opening six new sound stages this week on the campus of the former Unocal headquarters building at 5th and Bixel streets.

Hollywood friends of Jenifer Estess overflowed Raleigh Studios recently to support her new charity, Project ALS. The 37-year-old former publicist and theater/film producer contracted the neurological condition, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, two years ago.