HOLLYWOOD NEWS

L.A. August 25, 2006–Michael Moore may play yet another role in the upcoming elections. He will screen portions of his project, “The Great '04 Slacker Uprising,” for the first time at the Toronto Festival in early September.

Not much is known about the film, for which the director shot his 60-city student-tour to college campuses and other venues ahead of the 2004 presidential election, documenting what fest literature calls the “the birth of a new political generation.”

While there had been rumors that some of the events were shot, there'd no word of an actual picture. The festival calls “Uprising” a work-in-progress, and a festival blog describes it as a “scrappy road trip movie.”

But word of the film has raised the possibility that, like “Fahrenheit 9/11,” movie could be an entry to theaters, aiming to change opinions and sway votes before elections. After months of silence, Michael Moore is back in business.

Toronto will also be the first place the public can see footage of “Sicko,” Moore's expose of the health-care industry, which aims to pick up where Hillary Clinton left off in 1994, according to Moore's recent comments at his own film fest.

Segments are likely to be shorter than those for “Uprising.” A festival announcement said they amounted only to a “teaser,” and representatives for both Toronto and the Weinstein Co., which is releasing “Sicko” next year, declined to elaborate on whether it would be more than a trailer. The Weinstein Co. also declined comment on “Uprising.”

Moore will make an appearance at the festival in conjunction with the screenings as part of the “Mavericks” series, which will also feature John Waters and John Cameron Mitchell. Toronto won't release the schedule for Moore's appearance until next week, but it's likely to get a prominent spot, which could turn the screening into a big event.