The North is special, but you knew that already. The North of England is considered a 'single cultural area' - a place connected through shared culture, heritage and, of course, geography.

Our North is Film Hub North's annual season of film - a chance to celebrate 'Northern-ness', what it means to be Northern and how this is represented on screen. For our inaugural edition, we're focusing on the writers that have been instrumental in bringing Northern voices to wider audiences, and we're partnering with the Great Exhibition of the North to shine a spotlight on the region's cultural life.

Our North will tour cinemas, film clubs and special events throughout July and August.

The core Our North programme features productions written by key Northern figures such as Jim Allen (Manchester), Shelagh Delaney (Salford), Andrea Dunbar (Bradford) and Barry Hines (South Yorkshire). Spanning television, short and feature filmmaking, and showcasing a variety of voices and genres, the Our North core selections offer flexible programming options and plural visions of life in the North.

Members who screen titles in the core programme can benefit from reduced film rental rates, additional materials like marketing assets and programme notes, and advice and support from the Film Hub North team.

Beyond the core programme, we want you to make Our North your own - a celebration of your North. Members are encouraged to take inspiration from the core selections and respond to the season in imaginative ways, using the theme of celebrating Northern stories to plan additional events that will enhance their programme and develop new audiences. This might involve screening a series of films that speak to your locality, inviting special guests to introduce screenings, or holding pop-up events in spaces that connect to the Our North programme.

The Our North Pitch Pot is available to help make these additional programmes happen. Members who have programmed at least one of the core titles can apply to the Pitch Pot to receive financial support for supplementary Our North activity - funding can be used to cover costs like clearing film rights, covering speaker fees, creating marketing campaigns or hiring an event-specific venue. Members interested in screening core programme titles only do not need to apply to the Pitch Pot.

We're now accepting expressions of interest in Our North and the Pitch Pot. The closing date for proposals is 8 June.

More information about the core programme, the Pitch Pot and how to apply can be found in the Our North guidelines.

The Film Hub North team are here to help should you wish to discuss your application, or have a chat about programming and marketing ideas: info@filmhubnorth.org.uk.