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MTV EXPLORES THE COLLISION OF LIFE, LOVE AND DIGITAL DRAMA WITH PREMIERE OF (DIS)CONNECTED ON OCTOBER 10 AT 9 P.M. ET/PT

09.14.11

Original TV Movie followed by MTV News Special with SuChin Pak Jersey Shore’s Vinny Guadagnino and Dan Savage at 11 p.m. ET/PT as part of MTV’s “A THIN LINE” Campaign

New York, NY, September 14, 2011 – MTV today announced it will premiere its newest original TV movie, (dis)connected, on Monday, October 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. (dis)connectedtells the story of four young people whose lives unexpectedly collide online and illustrates how growing up digital can complicate life and love. Although the characters have never met in-person before, they have an extraordinary impact on one another, culminating in one night none of them could have imagined. To view a trailer for the film, click here. Immediately following the film at 11 p.m. ET/PT, MTV will broadcast a half-hour MTV News special hosted by SuChin Pak and Vinny Guadagnino of Jersey Shore, with panelists including Dan Savage talking with in-studio and online audiences about the key themes in the film, such as sexuality, relationships, trust and over-sharing in a digital world.

"(dis)connected captures our audience's struggle to manage the digital drama that is an everyday part of their lives," said Chris Linn, Executive Vice President of Programming, MTV. "This film supports the network’s ‘A THIN LINE’ campaign via an authentic, provocative piece of entertainment that explores the issue in unexpected ways."

The film’s interweaving narrative is told through four young people living in different cities, who know each other only through a live streaming site. Isaiah (Jordan Calloway, The Parent Hood) is a charismatic and popular contributor to the video chat site who struggles with his own demons and isolation offline, and has trouble relating to his girlfriend Nikki when they are together. Lisa's (Ana Coto, Trapped in the Closet, Gravity Hill) attraction to her boyfriend Jack – who she met online – heats up as she makes plans to meet up with him. Maria's (Lindsey Morgan, Friday Night Lights, Generation Y) constant texting of her boyfriend John ignites a break-up feud that extends to their friends and profiles. Tom (Justin Preston, Julia) refuses to reveal his identity when he posts his music online, but antagonizes others from the safety of his bedroom laptop. All of them are dealing with digital drama that complicates their lives in ways none of them expected.

(dis)connected is inspired in part by the true, tragic tale of Abraham Biggs, a 19-year-old who battled bipolar disorder and ultimately webcast his suicide after being egged on by a digital mob. The film, which was first announced during the White House Conference on Bullying Prevention, will air during National Bullying Prevention Month and serves as the latest programming connected to MTV’s multi-year “A THIN LINE” campaign.

MTV’s “A THIN LINE” campaign empowers America’s youth to identify, respond to, and stop the spread of digital abuse, which includes all forms of digital bullying, dating abuse and discrimination. Launched in late 2009, the campaign has already inspired more than 1 million young people to take action to stop digital abuse. As part of the campaign, MTV is addressing these issues through thought-provoking PSAs, integration into MTV's top-rated shows, innovative online and mobile tools, and curricula.

Director Leslie Libman has a long history with MTV's pro-social efforts; she helped create the first, and subsequent, Rock The Vote campaigns. Her other credits include HBO's Path to Paradise, the story of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, as well as episodes of The Wire, Entourage and NCIS. The movie is executive produced by Libman and Maggie Malina, the executive producer on many MTV movies, including Pedro, Worst. Prom. Ever.; and the My Super Psycho Sweet 16 franchise. Chris Linn serves as Executive Producer for MTV.(dis)connected will also air internationally on MTV channels around the world starting in January 2012.

For more information on (dis)connected head to http://www.disconnectedthemovie.comor for MTV’s “A THIN LINE” campaign, go to http://www.ATHINLINE.org.

About MTV:
MTV is the world’s premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy®, Grammy® and Peabody® award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV’s sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is the leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information, go to www.mtvpress.com.

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