The public are invited to collaborate on a unique feature-length documentary film about Scotland. 

Northern Lights is a first in a lifetime mass participation film project funded by the Year Of Creative Scotland 2012, which aims to create a view of Scotland that goes beyond media stereotypes to reflect the lives, hopes and dreams of the people who live - or once lived - on these isles.

No matter who you are or where you live in Scotland, you are invited to respond with filmed contributions to these questions:

• What can you see?
• What do you wish you had seen?
• What would you like to see?

For craft makers, Northern Lights could be an opportunity to show your craft practice, document what you make, focus on your community, or record a special project in response to the questions.

The producers intend for many first-timers, as well as more experienced filmmakers, to engage with the project, and the website offers resources to help new participants plan and shoot their footage. 

The project opened for submissions on 20th March.Videos can be submitted from until 21 June on the Northern Lights website (www.wearenorthernlights.com). Videos will be featured on the Northern Lights website and YouTube channel, and will automatically be eligible to win one of the Northern Lights Awards. 

Awards totaling £10,000 are on offer to the most compelling contributions in a range of categories, including the People’s Choice Award for the most popular contribution to the project.

The film will be directed by award-winning documentary film-maker Nick Higgins, who hopes to be surprised by the range of responses to the three questions. 

He says: "The idea of inviting people from across Scotland to pick up a camera, film their Scotland and share their lives is hugely exciting to me and we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible for everyone to get involved. Our aim is to create a truly original representation of Scotland, taking in everything from the extraordinary to the everyday."

"For Northern Lights to achieve this, we need people from all walks of life to get involved. Each submission, no matter how modest, will help to build this epic self-portrait of Scotland in 2012 and we want everyone to be part of it. This is a film about Scotland, so who better to create its content than the people of Scotland themselves?"    

Northern Lights is a chance to show your life, your world and your Scotland to the rest of the world. Visit the website www.wearenorthernlights.com to submit your video and watch the contributions.

You can also help support the project by following on Twitter and Facebook.

Watch a trailer for Northern Lights:

Workshops
Workshops are taking place across Scotland to support groups who want to get involved.  

If you attend a workshop, you also have the chance to win the ‘Best Workshop’ award. 

Creative Director Nick Higgins will host a series of pop-up workshops at venues across Scotland. Find out more at http://wearenorthernlights.com/workshops/pop-up-workshops/
Group Workshops

Northern Lights are also running a series of two day intensive workshops. Upcoming workshops include:

• 25 May 2012 - Butterstone, Perthshire / Butterstone Workshop
• 26 May 2012 - Dunoon Burgh Hall, 195 Argyll Street, Dunoon, PA23 7DE / Dunoon Workshop
• 29 May 2012 - Screen Education Edinburgh, 30 Ferry Road Avenue, Edinburgh, EH4 4BA / Screen Education Edinburgh Workshop

You are also invited to host your own workshop. If you have a venue or are part of a group that could accommodate a workshop, just email workshops@wearenorthernlights.com for more information and support.