Moore's film to show free on web

Moore said the free download is a gift to his fans

Oscar winner Michael Moore is to release his latest documentary free of charge on the internet.

Slacker Uprising will be available as a download to North American viewers for three weeks from 23 September.

Moore, who courted controversy with films like Farenheit 9/11, said the move was to mark his 20 years in film.

The new documentary follows Moore's tour across the US during the 2004 presidential campaign as he attempted to persuade young people to vote.

Gift

Moore said he had considered a cinematic release to coincide with the current presidential race, but decided the internet would best "help get the vote out for November".

"This is being done entirely as a gift to my fans," he added.

A low cost DVD is set to be released in October.

The film, which cost a modest $2m (£1.1m) to make, is Moore's first release since 2007 documentary Sicko, which looked at the state of the US healthcare system and gained an Oscar nomination.

Moore won the best documentary Oscar for his 2002 feature, Bowling For Columbine.

Sicko made $24.5m (£13.8m) at the North American box office, although it was eclipsed by Farenheit 9/11 which took $119m (£67.4m).