Fans of the Lord of the Rings who have not yet had their fill of cinematic Middle-earth should make a date for Sunday 3 May at 4pm (UK time), when the internet and the Sci-Fi-London festival will simultaneously host the premiere of The Hunt for Gollum - a "film for fans by fans" knocked together for just 3,000 quid:



Hunt For Gollum - Trailer One

by HuntForGollum

According to the BBC, the film is set between The Hobbit and the Fellowship of the Ring, and "tells the story of Aragorn as he sets out to discover the truth about the Ring".

Writer and director Chris Bouchard explained that, with the blessing of Tolkien Enterprises (as long as the project was non-profit, natch), he set about recruiting a vast cast of volunteers - including 160 credited crew and 60 who worked on visual effects alone.

Regarding cash, Bouchard said: "The budget for Gollum all went on costumes props and various bits of equipment and food. We nailed it right down to the bare essentials that we couldn't get for free, or beg, borrow or steal."

The director admitted that Peter Jackson's visual feel for LoTR was "a big inspiration", as the trailer shows, and described it as "an adventure for us to play in that world that he created".

Bouchard didn't, though, enjoy New Zealand as a backdrop for Gollum, making do instead with Epping Forest, Hampstead Heath and North Wales.

The BBC has more from Bouchard here, the cast roster is here and the extended production team credits here. ®