In the last few years new observations have shown that solar filaments and filament channels have a surprising hemispheric pattern. To explain this pattern, a new theory for filament channel and filament formation is put forward. The theory describes the formation of a specific type of filament, namely the intermediate filament which forms either between active regions or at the boundary of an active region. It describes the formation in terms of the emergence of a sheared activity complex. The complex then interacts with remnant flux and, after convergence and flux cancellation, the filament forms in the channel. A key feature of the model is the net magnetic helicity of the complex. With the correct sign a filament channel can form, but with the opposite sign no filament channel forms after convergence. It is shown how the hemispheric pattern of helicity in emerging flux regions produces the observed hemispheric pattern for filaments.