Ronnie James Dio Documentary Premieres At SXSW Film Festival

Ronnie James Dio with Heaven And hell (Instagram @_ronniejamesdio)

JAKARTA - Dio: Dreamers Never Die, a documentary about the life of legendary rock icon Ronnie James Dio, premiered on March 17 at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, Texas.

One day later, several musical figures involved in the making of this film, including Dio's wife and manager Wendy Dio, Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, and former Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach took part in the panel Dreamers Never Die: The Enduring Panel Power Of Metal, hosted by Eddie Trunk of SiriusXM at the Austin Convention Center.

Dio: Dreamers Never Die is the first documentary about Dio getting full permission from the musician's property. According to his official statement, the film digs deep into Dio's incredible rise, from his early '50s career, to his Rainbow days, replacing Ozzy Osbourne in Black Sabbath, then Heaven And Hell to finally cement his own name together with Dio.

This biography of Ronnie is truly unique. Not only tells the life of the rock and roll cliché of the icon, but also tells the story of perseverance, dreams, and the power to believe in yourself.

Dio: Dreamers Never Die is fully financed by BMG and directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton (Framing John DeLorean, Believer, Last Days Here). Don Argott and Sheena Joyce for 9.14 Pictures were appointed as producers, while Wendy Dio for Niji Productions and Kathy Rivkin Daum for BMG were executive producers.

The story of Ronnie James Dio goes beyond standard rock documentaries. Set against the backdrop of Dio's autobiography—half-finished by Ronnie before his death from stomach cancer in 2010—the film chronicles the inspiring journey of his life, love, and career ups and downs.

Meanwhile, Dio's autobiography, Rainbow In The Dark: The Autobiography, was already released in July last year through Permuted Press.