Synopsis: In 1998 Shawn Fanning, a teenage hacker and programmer, created the code that would become the basis for all peer-to-peer file sharing. In 1999, Fanning and his business partner, fellow teenager Sean Parker, launched the file-sharing service Napster. And what had begun as a largely unknown underground distribution medium erupted into a full-blown global revolution. "Downloaded" explores this revolution from its genesis to its peak, and explains Napster's downfall. "It's about the music and the bands, the fans and the moguls, and the brilliant young minds that ignited the biggest youth revolt since Alan Freed hit the radio," says director Alex Winter. [Synopsis courtesy of SXSW]
Following its showings at SXSW in Austin and Hot Docs in Toronto, VH1 is taking its original documentary "Downloaded" to theaters. The film, which is directed by Alex Winter (yes, Bill of "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure"), charts the rise of online music-sharing service Napster and the contributio...
Read More »If the South by Southwest Film Festival was burdened by anything this year, it was an abundance of quality documentaries. It seemed that, while the narrative side of things was surprisingly sparse (where was the "21 Jump Street" or "The Raid" of this year?), the documentary selection was stronger th...
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