ReFrame is an international documentary film festival centred on social and environmental justice.
The activities of ReFrame would not be possible without the connection and care that Nishnaabeg of this Land have practiced for thousands of years. ReFrame has the privilege of existing on the stolen, treaty, and traditional territories of the Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg. We engage in learning and educating about issues of privilege, power and racism in our programming and day-to-day work. We know we can do better, and we want to hear from you.
We recognize that we have a responsibility to care for each other in the work of uncolonizing and anti-racism. We are so grateful for the care for and teachings about the Earth, Creation, and All our Relations offered by the First Peoples. We honour and respect these teachings.
Who We Are
ReFrame Film Festival is a community celebration of documentary film and media art centred on social justice, human rights, and environmental responsibility. Each winter, audiences gather in Nogojiwanong / Peterborough — and online across Canada — to engage with powerful stories and the conversations they inspire.
ReFrame was founded in 2005 by Krista English and Carole Roy as a local instalment of the Travelling World International Film Festival based in Courtenay, BC. Under Krista English’s leadership from 2005 to 2018, ReFrame grew from a small, collective-run series of screenings in downtown storefronts and galleries into a nationally respected, justice-driven cultural festival. Her vision, care, and tireless commitment laid the foundation for the organization ReFrame is today.
Early and longstanding support from a dedicated collective of artists and organizers — including Ferne Cristall, Jim Abel, and Ziysah von Bieberstein, and dozens of others — helped shape ReFrame’s collaborative spirit and community-rooted values.
Growth and Evolution
What began as a selection of borrowed films has grown into a professionally curated mid-winter festival featuring documentary films, filmmaker talks, panels, performances, exhibitions, and community gatherings. Today, ReFrame welcomes thousands of attendees each year through a hybrid in-person and national virtual festival, while also offering low-barrier community screenings throughout the year.
In 2011, ReFrame incorporated as a non-profit and became a registered charity, establishing a formal Board of Directors and governance structure that continues today.
In 2018, the organization transitioned to a co-directorship model, reflecting both its scale and its values around shared leadership. For five years, ReFrame was led by Amy Siegel (Creative Director) and Jay Adam (Executive Director), whose thoughtful stewardship guided the festival through artistic expansion, operational refinement, and a deepening commitment to equity and access.
Stories, Voice, and Responsibility
At its core, ReFrame is about storytelling and about asking critical questions of the stories we share. Documentary film has the power to foster empathy, challenge assumptions, and illuminate lived experience. ReFrame’s programming is guided by questions around who is telling the story, whose voices are centred, and how relationships between filmmakers and subjects are held.
We prioritize work by equity-deserving and local and regional artists whose lived experiences are rooted in the communities and issues they explore, and we seek to support ethical, accountable storytelling that resists misrepresentation.
Curated With Care
ReFrame’s annual festival is curated by our Creative Director, with the support of a dedicated volunteer Programming Advisory Committee. Together, they review submissions through a justice-centred lens, considering artistic merit alongside voice, context, and community relevance.
Local and regional filmmakers are actively supported, and submission barriers are reduced wherever possible. Our programming processes continue to evolve, shaped by learning, reflection, and care.
Stories in Action: From Screen to Community
A defining feature of ReFrame is its commitment to linking stories on screen with action in the community. Through our Community Partnership program, local social and environmental justice organizations help contextualize films, share resources, and connect audiences to related work happening on the ground here in our community.
ReFrame also offers a Community Access Program, distributing free passes and tickets to equity-deserving community members through partner organizations to help reduce barriers and support equitable access to arts and culture.
How We Work Today
Today, ReFrame operates under a co-directorship model, with shared leadership across artistic and organizational responsibilities. The Creative Director stewards the heart of all ReFrame programming and its overarching curatorial vision, while the Executive Director oversees the operational backbone of the festival, including finances, fundraising, communications, administration, human resources, governance support, and risk management. Together, these roles allow ReFrame to balance creative care with organizational stability, ensuring the festival can continue to serve its community responsibly and sustainably.
ReFrame is operated by a very small staff team: just two full-time positions supported by a part-time Financial Controller, seasonal contractors (our Technical Lead and Communications Officer), and a committed community of volunteers. Our Board of Directors provides governance and strategic oversight, while the Programming Advisory Committee plays a vital role in shaping the annual festival program. Delta Bingo volunteers provide essential fundraising support throughout the year, and Festival Volunteers help bring the in-person program to life each winter, supporting front-of-house operations and audience experience.
Despite its size, ReFrame’s reach is broad. Each year, the festival collaborates with hundreds of artists, filmmakers, community partners, venues, and local businesses. That work is sustained by meaningful relationships, shared values, and the trust and care of the community that has grown alongside ReFrame for more than two decades.
Looking Forward
ReFrame continues to grow, adapt, and ask difficult questions of itself. We believe that when people encounter one another through honest storytelling, deeper understanding becomes possible, and with it, the capacity to care more deeply for one another and the more-than-human world.
We are grateful to everyone who has shaped ReFrame over the past twenty-two years, and to those who continue to walk alongside us. We invite you to join us to watch, listen, question, connect, and act together towards positive change.
MISSION, VISION & VALUES STAFF & BOARD PROGRAM ARCHIVE IMAGE GALLERY