Filmmaker Michael Moore has released his latest documentary for free on the Internet, marking a first for the director who aims to encourage young people to vote - preferably for Democrats - in November's US presidential election.

Slacker Uprising, a feature-length film documenting Moore's tour of swing states during the 2004 presidential election year, was made available for a free download instead of being released in cinemas.

The maker of the award-winning anti-Iraq war blockbuster Fahrenheit 9/11, revealed in a statement the gesture was "entirely as a gift to my fans."

He said: "The only return any of us are hoping for is the largest turnout of young voters at the polls in November".

Moore has long been known as a firebrand filmmaker. He took on large corporations in 1989's Roger & Me and the US gun industry in 2002's Bowling for Columbine, which earned him an Oscar.

Slacker Uprising, made for about $2 million (£1 million), comes on the heels of Moore's expose on the US health care system, SiCKO, in 2007.

Although his latest project chronicles the director's efforts to get young people on either side of the political spectrum to vote, he said the documentary was also a "tribute to the young voters who are going to save this country from four more years of Republican rule."

He said several websites, including iTunes and Amazon.com, were providing streaming or downloading services for free.

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