Born of Hope is a non-commercial production created for free internet streaming for film fans worldwide. It was made purely for entertainment purposes, for keeping the storytelling history of Middle-earth alive. The film had an original budget of £8,000, which was all of Madison's life savings, but through online fundraising received an additional £17,000, bringing the total up to £25,000. Directed by Kate Madison, and written by Paula DiSante (as "Alex K. Aldridge"), the original idea formed in 2003 when actor/filmmaker Kate Madison wanted to send a film to a Tolkien Fan Film Exhibition. However, from a small spark the idea grew into a hugely ambitious project. In April 2006, a test shoot was completed filming a collection of scenes and a teaser trailer produced. Principal photography sta