VH1's Emmy Awarding-Winning "VH1 Rock Docs" Franchise Joins SXSW Film Festival in March With the Premiere of Two New Documentaries, a Panel and Exclusive Sneak Peek Into the Rise and Fall of Napster With "Downloaded: The Digital Revolution"

NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- VH1's Emmy award-winning "Rock Docs" franchise will premiere two new documentaries during the SXSW Film Festival. Magnolia Pictures' "Marley," the first film to tell the definitive life story of revolutionary music icon Bob Marley, will be making its North American premiere at SXSW on March 11th at 5:30PM CT.  In addition, "UPRISING: Hip Hop and The L.A. Riots," narrated and executive produced by rapper Snoop Dogg, is set to make its world premiere at SXSW on March 14th at 10PM CT.  An exclusive preview of VH1's upcoming documentary "Downloaded: The Digital Revolution," the story of the rise and fall of Napster, will also be seen at the SXSW Film Festival followed by a rare panel discussion with creators Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker on March 14th at 2PM CT.

"Marley," a documentary about legendary musician Bob Marley will premiere on March 11th at 5:30PM CT at SXSW. Made with the unprecedented support of the Marley family, "Marley" is the first film to tell the definitive life story of the musician, revolutionary, and legend, from his earliest days to his rise to international superstardom. Along with an incredible soundtrack, the film features rare footage, archival photos, and incredible performances and interviews with his family, friends, and bandmates – the people that knew him best. "Marley" is directed by Academy Award-winner Kevin Macdonald and produced by Steve Bing and Charles Steel, and executive produced by Bob's son Ziggy Marley and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell.  "Marley" will be opening in select theaters and can be found on VOD (video on demand) on April 20th.

"UPRISING: Hip Hop and the LA Riots," will make its debut at SXSW. The documentary is told from the diverse perspective of the rappers, musicians, police officers and victims who lived through the landmark LA Riots in April, 1992. With definitive accounts of the four fiery days that left 53 people dead, over 12,000 arrested and put a searing spotlight on race relations and American pop culture, viewers will also hear never-before-heard stories from well known figures and hip hop artists who were effected by or actual participants in the riots, including: Rodney King, Arsenio Hall, John Singleton, Too Short, KRS-One, Nas, Sir Jinx, DJ Yella, and others. The documentary will examine the relationship between the violence manifested on the streets and the rage expressed in hip-hop music. Narrated and executive produced by acclaimed rapper Snoop Dogg and directed by Mark Ford for Creatures Film, the documentary will premiere at the SXSW Film Festival on Wednesday, March 14th at 10PM CT.

The sneak peek of "Downloaded: The Digital Revolution" will focus on the advent of digital media sharing, including the rise of game changing company Napster and controversial pioneers Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker. The digital revolution ultimately created a technology paradigm shift, upended big business and musical artists and changed the world. The preview will be followed by a high-profile panel moderated by "Downloaded: The Digital Revolution" director Alex Winter and will feature Napster masterminds Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker. 'Downloaded: The SXSW Interview' will take place on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 at 2PM CT at the Austin Convention Center. "Downloaded: The Digital Revolution" is directed and executive produced by Alex Winter and executive produced by Warren Cohen and Maggie Malina.

VH1's Emmy Award winning Rock Docs are feature-length documentaries that tell unique stories of artists and music from a wide range of genres, styles and musical perspectives.  Overseeing for VH1 are Brad Abramson, Shelly Tatro and Jeff Olde.  "UPRISING: Hip Hop and the LA Riots" is produced by Mark Ford for Creative Films and executive produced by Stephen Mintz for VH1. "Downloaded: The Digital Revolution" is directed by Alex Winter and executive produced by Warren Cohen and Maggie Malina.

About Creature Films: Creature Films (www.creaturefilms.net) is a full service television and film production company and one of the leading producers of music driven entertainment. The company is owned and run by Mark Ford and Kevin Lopez. Together, they've produced over a hundred hours of television, with credits that include MTV's Laguna Beach and Taking the Stage, VH1's Behind the Music and Bravo's Kandi Factory.

About Magnolia Pictures: Magnolia Pictures (www.magpictures.com) is the theatrical and home entertainment distribution arm of the Wagner/Cuban Companies, a vertically-integrated group of media properties co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban. Recent releases include Lars Von Trier's Melancholia, Page One: Inside the New York Times, French thriller Point Blank, Blackthorn, starring Sam Shepard as Butch Cassidy, Andrew Jarecki's All Good Things, and Luca Guadagnino's I Am Love. Magnolia's upcoming releases include Tim & Eric's Billion Dollar Movie, Lauren Greenfield's The Queen of Versailles, Sarah Polley's Take This Waltz, Fernando Meirelles'360, The Hunter, starring Willem Dafoe, David Gelb's Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Jo Nesbo's Headhunters, Bradley Rust Gray's Jack & Diane, and many more. 

About Trouper Productions: Trouper Productions (www.trouperproductions.com) is an entertainment production entity, founded by Alex Winter in 2006. Trouper services Winter's directorial efforts in film and television.  In addition to Downloaded, Trouper projects include commercials, music videos and two hugely successful TV movies for Cartoon Network; Ben 10: Race Against Time and the Emmy-nominated Ben 10: Alien Swarm.  

About SXSW Film
The SXSW® Film Conference and Festival is a uniquely creative environment featuring the dynamic convergence of talent, smart audiences and industry heavyweights. A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of the rapidly evolving world of independent film.

The Film Conference buzzes as world-class speakers, creative minds, and notable mentors tackle the latest filmmaking trends amidst the unmatched social atmosphere of the SXSW experience. Simultaneously, the internationally acclaimed, nine-day Festival celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, featuring a truly diverse program that includes provocative documentaries, subversive comedies, DIY narratives, genre standouts and more. SXSW Film is proud to be an official qualifying festival for the Academy Awards Short Film competition. The Best Narrative Short and Best Animated Short winners become eligible for the Academy Awards.  For more information, visit http://www.sxsw.com/film.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 99 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, and extensive video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.

SOURCE VH1