BMG’s feature-length film DIO: Dreamers Never Die is set to make its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. The film is the first-ever, career-spanning documentary, fully authorized by the artist’s estate, on the life and times of legendary metal icon and one of the most beloved figures in rock Ronnie James Dio.

DIO: Dreamers Never Die will screen on March 17 at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, TX as part of the SXSW Film Festival’s 24 Beats Per Second lineup showcasing the sounds, culture and influence of music and musicians, with an emphasis on documentary.

The documentary was financed solely by BMG and was directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton (Framing John DeLorean, Believer, Last Days Here), produced by Don Argott and Sheena Joyce for 9.14 Pictures, and executive produced by Wendy Dio, wife and longtime manager of Ronnie James Dio, for Niji Productions and Kathy Rivkin Daum for BMG.

BMG also proudly serves as the recorded music home of Dio’s 1996-2004 catalog.

DIO: Dreamers Never Die is the definitive Ronnie James Dio documentary, incorporating never-before-seen archival footage and photos from his personal archives. The film will offer intimate scenes with his closest peers, friends and family (Wendy Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, Vinny Appice, Lita Ford, Rob Halford, Sebastian Bach, Eddie Trunk) as they bring viewers inside the life of one of rock and roll’s true heroes.

Dio reigns as one of the most influential rock artists of all time and one of the greatest vocalists ever. With an illustrious recording career spanning the 1950’s, 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s, 1990’s, and 2000’s, he served as the frontman for some of rock’s elite including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio, and Heaven & Hell. Famous for popularizing the ‘metal horns’ hand gesture that is synonymous with hard rock and heavy metal music, his many awards include the Classic Rock Magazine Awards “Metal Guru Award”, the Revolver Golden God Awards “Best Metal Singer”, and is an inductee to Guitar Center's Rock Walk of Fame in Hollywood, CA.

The upcoming documentary is the latest project in BMG’s growing line of music-related films and television projects including the critically acclaimed Sundance Film Festival selections David Crosby: Remember My Name – Grammy-nominated for ‘Best Music Film’ – and the Joan Jett documentary, Bad Reputation; The Show’s The Thing, a film about legendary concert promoters and the early days of the live music business; Rudeboy: The Story of Trojan Records, and Echo In The Canyon, one of the top-grossing documentaries of 2019.