ReFrame’s 20th annual documentary film festival is taking place January 25 – February 4, 2024.
The doc fest will screen 60+ films as part of its hybrid festival. A separately ticketed opening night screening will kick off the in-person events, followed by 3 days of in-person screenings at Showplace Performance Centre, Market Hall Performing Arts Centre and the Peterborough Public Library. A selection of the in-person program will be available online and on-demand across the country the following week, January 29th – February 4th.
The full program will be released in early January, but organizers are pleased to share a first look at their curated 20th anniversary selections now.
Opening Night (Thursday, January 25, 7 p.m.): The in-person opening night event features the stunning and impactful film Boil Alert by James Burns and Steven Salas. “This poignant exploration illuminates the human dimension of the water crisis in Indigenous communities, as well as the impact it is having upon Native identity.” Please note: opening night tickets are sold separately, and are not included in the purchase of a Festival Pass. This film will not be available as part of the virtual festival. In Person Only: A new work by Amy Miller, Manufacturing the Threat “shows how Canada’s policing and national security agencies, granted additional powers after 9/11, routinely break laws with little to no accountability or oversight.” International films spotlight global issues, including CUFF.Docs Best Documentary Feature Award-Winner Queendom by Agniia Galdanova, in which “Gena, a queer artist from a small town in Russia, stages radical performances in public that become a new form of art and activism—and put her life in danger.”
Local film offerings introduce vital new voices such as Melissa Addison-Webster, who brings us Winding Our Way Home, a dance documentary
created in collaboration with the Brain Injury Association Peterborough Region. ReFrame is also pleased to welcome back veteran filmmakers from the region, such as Rob Viscardis, whose new film Kirby’s House looks at the “power of community and belonging”. Hybrid (available both in person and online): Some films face tough topics head-on, like Long Distance Swimmer by Charly W. Feldman, which follows Sarah Mardini’s “fight for justice and journey of self-discovery against the backdrop of Europe’s refugee ‘crisis.’” Others approach challenging issues with levity, inspiration or
a focus on solutions, such as Dear Ani by Micah Levin, which “follows the epic mental health journey of artist Keith Wasserman, and his quest to befriend music icon Ani DiFranco.” Similarly inspiring fare includes How to Power a City, a film that “provides a front-row seat to communities battling fossil fuel dependence by bringing solar and wind projects to their hometowns. Filmed in six locations, the stories reveal how a diverse cast
prevailed against obstacles from indifferent politicians to technical impasses, public ignorance, cost, and natural and manmade disasters. It is a solutions-focused climate story.”
In-Person, Hybrid and Virtual Festival Passes and opening night tickets are available on the ReFrame
website. ReFrame is a celebration of documentary film and media art centred on social justice. Stay cozy, and get your passes before they sell out! For more information, visit reframefilmfestival.ca
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