Madonna Announces secretprojectrevolution, An Art For Freedom Project, In Partnership With VICE Media And BitTorrent

NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Madonna's secretprojectrevolution, the 17-minute film she co-directed with Steven Klein, will be unveiled on September 24th, 2013. The film launches Art For Freedom, an online global initiative to further freedom of expression, created by Madonna, curated by VICE, and distributed by BitTorrent.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130917/NY81402 )

"My goal is to show by the example of secretprojectrevolution my creative commitment to inspire change in the world through artistic expression.  I hope my film and other submissions to Art For Freedom will be a call-to-action and give people a place to voice their own creative expression to help fight oppression, intolerance and complacency," commented Madonna.

Art For Freedom is a global digital initiative, led by Madonna, designed to fuel free speech -- to respond, address and protest persecution around the world. It is an online public art project encouraging the world to express their personal meaning of freedom and revolution, in the form of video, music, poetry, and photography. Public submissions will become part of the Art For Freedom platform: contributors can join the project by uploading original artwork or tagging original posts #artforfreedom.  

Art For Freedom launches with the secretprojectrevolution film distributed as a BitTorrent Bundle. The film, plus bonus content, is available to the public for free download for beginning September 24 at 2pm EDT. Anyone can download and unlock the secretprojectrevolution Bundle (bundles.bittorrent.com/madonna-revolution/) to receive the film, plus bonus content, for free.  

The BitTorrent Bundle is a powerful new media format that's built to move freely across the Internet. It is designed to hold any file type, and any file size. And it's designed to encourage and empower free expression, beyond the Internet's walled gardens.    

Fans who download the secretprojectrevolution Bundle will instantly receive stills from the film and three HD film trailers. Those who submit their email will unlock access to the Revolution film in both HD and 2K Digital Cinema resolution, an exclusive HD and 2K Digital Cinema interview with Madonna conducted by Eddy Moretti, VICE's Chief Creative Officer, as well as a special handwritten message from Madonna.   

"This film operates on many levels. It examines our private prisons. It questions what we do, how we do it, and how we treat others. It questions our governments, and our collective thought patterns. Think about it - the power of art can lead to peace," commented Steven Klein.

"BitTorrent and VICE are both innovative and forward thinking which is why we chose to partner with them on the launch of 'Art for Freedom' platform and the film "secretprojectrevolution," commented Guy Oseary, Madonna's longtime manager.  

"Madonna is making a bold move, putting herself out there to support those suffering under repressive regimes around the world. Art For Freedom comes from a place of real empathy and emotion. It's a reflection of a world in crisis by an artist who has decided that apathy is not an option. In one discussion, Madonna told me that she wanted to start a 'revolution of love.' How can you argue with that?" commented Eddy Moretti, Chief Creative Officer, VICE Media.   

"The Internet drives creativity, democratizes information, and allows people to connect with one another", shared Shahi Ghanem, Chief Strategy Officer for BitTorrent, Inc. "The new BitTorrent Bundle format captures this ideal by giving artists and publishers an entirely new, people-driven distribution tool that is limitless in quality and versatility - enabling them to connect with fans however and wherever they want. Using the Bundle format to help an iconic artist like Madonna share expression freely with the world is a perfect showcase for the technology and we're thrilled to support her efforts."

About BitTorrent Bundles (bundles.bittorrent.com)  
The BitTorrent Bundle is an Alpha project, made with and for the web's creative community. Our mission is to help artists connect directly with fans, inside the content they share.

Each BitTorrent Bundle, like this one, created in partnership with Madonna and VICE, allows artists to distribute content to 170 million BitTorrent users. And each Bundle comes with a key. Fans can unlock artist content with an email address, or a donation. The idea is to make each song a storefront; and each file more valuable, each time it's shared.

Content creators interested in publishing their own BitTorrent Bundle can register for the alpha here: http://bundles.bittorrent.com/publish

About VICE Media  
VICE is a global youth media company, and the industry leader in producing and distributing the best online video content in the world. Launched in 1994 as a punk magazine, VICE has expanded into a multimedia brand, including an international network of digital channels; a television & feature film production studio; a monthly magazine; a record label; and a book-publishing division. In 2013, VICE launched a news-magazine series on HBO titled 'VICE.' The Emmy nominated series is commissioned for a second season, scheduled for 2014. VICE's digital channels include VICE.com, the brand's digital flagship; Noisey, dedicated to music discovery; The Creators Project, focusing on arts and creativity; Motherboard, covering cultural happenings in technology; THUMP, concentrating on global dance and electronic music; and Fightland, dedicated to the culture of MMA.

For more information, please contact:  

For Madonna: 
Liz Rosenberg 
Liz Rosenberg Media 
[email protected] 
212-991-4290  

For VICE Media, Inc.  
Fay Sliger 
[email protected] 
718-599-3101  

For BitTorrent, Inc. 
Christian Averill  
[email protected]  
917-679-8818   

SOURCE VICE Media