NEW YORK, Jan. 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- VH1's Emmy award-winning "Rock Docs" franchise will present the world premiere of the long awaited story of the monumental rise and fall of Napster with the documentary "Downloaded" at the SXSW Film Festival. Directed by Alex Winter, "Downloaded" will make its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival on Sunday, March 10 at the Paramount Theater. 

"Downloaded" focuses 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 and upended the music industry. Audiences will hear insight from well known music artists and figures within the music industry including: The Beastie Boys' Mike D, Noel Gallagher, Henry Rollins, former Sony Music Chairman, Don Ienner, former record producer and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell and Hilary Rosen, former CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America.

The world premiere of "Downloaded" will be followed by a panel moderated by "Downloaded" director Alex Winter featuring Napster masterminds Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker and featuring several other high profile guests. The 'Download: The Digital Revolution' will take place at SXSW on Tuesday, March 12 at 11AM CT at The Long Center. Additionally, Alex Winter will sit down with accredited chief experts in the music industry to discuss the business side of the digital revolution in the 'Downloaded: The Music Industry in the Digital Age' on Thursday, March 14 at 5PM CT at the Austin Convention Center.

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.  "Downloaded" is directed and executive produced by Alex Winter and executive produced by Maggie Malina. Overseeing for VH1 are Warren Cohen, Brad Abramson, Shelly Tatro and Jeff Olde. Consulting producer for "Downloaded" is Thomas Zimny, music composer DJ Spooky, editor Jacob Craycroft and the director of photography is Anghel Decca.

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.  VH1 is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.  For more information, go to www.vh1press.com or visit VH1.com, the VH1 Facebook page and @VH1 on Twitter.

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SOURCE VH1