During the Second World War, British prime minister Winston Churchill apocryphally said “Then what are we fighting for?” when asked to cut arts funding in favour of the war effort.
Many decades later, ReFrame Film Festival executive director Kait Dueck makes the same case when she affirms “the arts are not a luxury.”
“They’re the way that we make sense of the world, and the way that we make sense of ourselves,” Dueck says. “Cultural events like ReFrame create shared experiences and moments where people can really come together and reflect and think and feel things collectively.”
“In a time where so much of our media consumption is really fragmented and isolating, I think there’s something incredibly valuable about being in a room, if it’s in person or in a virtual space, and engaging in a story together.”
This year, audiences will gather for the annual social and environmental justice film festival in downtown Peterborough-Nogojiwanong from January 30 to February 1 and virtually across Canada from February 3 to 8.
Dueck notes that though the festival is intentionally curated to feature visually stunning works that are “uplifting and hopeful,” many of them present dark moments in human history, exploring wars, human rights violations, and climate crises.
“These are really heavy realities to sit with, but for me, the thing that redeems us as a species in all of this is the ability to create,” says Dueck. “Whether it’s literature or visual art, theatre, film, music, this is the stuff of life.”
Dueck, who has been at the helm of the festival since 2022, has always known of its impact on the community.
“The festival creates these shared experiences and particularly at one of the darker times of the year, in the middle of winter,” says Dueck. “January and February are pretty dark emotionally, economically, physically, so ReFrame has very intentionally centred itself at that time of year to bring people together for 22 years now. Watching films together and talking with artists and gathering downtown especially helps counter some of that isolation and reminds us that we’re connected and we’re part of something bigger.”
Beyond the ways in which ReFrame supports individuals by sharing stories and educating on some of the most pressing contemporary global concerns, ReFrame also plays a vital impact on Peterborough’s economic development.
The last full economic study of ReFrame, done over 10 years ago, found that over $700,000 was injected into the local economy just over the in-person weekend. Taking into account inflation and the addition of a popular virtual festival component, that number would no doubt be significantly higher today.
Further, based on audience feedback surveys with well over 500 respondents, it’s believed that around $250,000 was spent at restaurants alone during the 2025 festival — a figure that does not include accommodations and other retail spending.
“ReFrame comes downtown at this critical moment of the year for small businesses, especially restaurants,” Dueck notes. “With the holiday rush gone, it’s typically the slowest season for these businesses.”
Adding that the economic impact of the arts is not specific to ReFrame, Dueck points to a report by the Ontario Art Council which found that, for every dollar invested into the arts, $25 is generated in other revenue.
In the case of ReFrame, a part of that investment goes towards paying the artists whose work is featured at the festival — a payment that doesn’t happen at all festivals.
“Supporting artists is critical,” Dueck says. “Usually, 10 to 20 per cent of the content of the festival, even though it’s an international festival, is local and made right here. Most of the artists that are performing, that are speaking, and that are running panels are being paid honorariums, and they’re based in the community.”
While ReFrame supports artists wherever it can, it’s not easy. Despite costing more than $300,000 to run the festival ever year, ticket sales only account for 10 to 15 per cent of total revenue, leaving the organization heavily reliant on government funding and community donations.
Last year, when ReFrame lost a significant amount of funding just weeks before the festival, it suffered a large annual deficit that Dueck says they will be recovering from “for quite some time.”
“There’s never a moment where we can assume stability,” Dueck says. “Unfortunately, we are in a position where we have to raise the entire festival budget from scratch every single year.”
Given this ongoing financial instability, on top of changing demographics and higher living expenses, how has the festival remained resilient year after year?
According to Dueck, some of it can be attributed to ReFrame’s ability to adapt, including by introducing a hybrid format for the festival during the pandemic under the previous leadership of Jay Adam and Amy Siegel.
“I do think adaptability is part of our DNA in the kind of work that we do, but it doesn’t eliminate the risk,” Dueck says. “Resilience in the arts is often mistaken for security. And though ReFrame has survived for well over 20 years, its existence is never guaranteed, and that precarity is exactly why community support matters so much.”
Dueck says the resilience of ReFrame, like many arts organizations, comes down to the tenacity and dedication of its workers. With creative director Eryn Lidster the only other full-time staff member at ReFrame, the festival is otherwise put together with the help of contract staff along with volunteers.
“Every executive director ReFrame has had has worked themselves to the bone to keep the festival going every year,” says Dueck. “The labour that is required to fund, produce, and deliver the festival is substantial, and we operate on very limited but excellent human resources.”
The volunteer board members are just as dedicated and passionate, giving their time on top of other professional and personal commitments.
“Even though it’s really challenging work and it is up to the staff to run the organization, it’s up to the board to oversee it,” says Dueck. “We couldn’t be more supported by our board and I couldn’t be more grateful.”
As they navigate fighting against burnout and financial strain, Dueck says ReFrame is at a “crossroads” as the team develops a three-year plan.
“For me, growth for ReFrame doesn’t necessarily mean bigger or more,” they say. “It means deeper — deeper relationships with artists and with communities — and continuing this year-round with community programming where we’re making real relationships and bringing film into places that people may not traditionally have access to it. It means more sustainable working conditions for the people who deliver the festival.”
How ever that growth happens, Dueck says ReFrame will do it without compromising on the festival’s values.
“We will always prioritize social and environmental justice, we will always prioritize artistic integrity, and we will always put community connection first,” says Dueck. “The next chapter for ReFrame, I hope, is about moving beyond crisis management and into something more stable and intentional and, with the right support from our community, that future is possible. It’s a future that I’m hopeful about.”
To support ReFrame, there are always opportunities to volunteer, either during the festival itself or by volunteering for shifts at Delta Bingo & Gaming Centre, one of the festival’s major funders, where every three-hour shift brings in $700 for the festival. Those who have the capacity can also volunteer as a board member or join one of the festival’s committees that interest them.
Business owners can sponsor a film screening, while representatives of non-profits and grassroots organizations can be matched with a film on a sliding price scale to connect their work with engaged audiences. Those community partnerships are another way that ReFrame stands out.
“Mission alignment is what’s most important to us,” says Dueck. “These partnerships help to ensure that audiences who feel moved or hurt or unsettled by a film don’t leave with nowhere to put that energy. They leave with pathways for engagement and learning and action right here in our community.”
But, above all, one of the best ways to support ReFrame is just to show up. The no-questions-asked pay-what-you-can ticket pricing, available both for in-person and online screenings, is intended to ensure as many voices and perspectives as possible can engage in the discussions.
“It’s community support that makes it possible for festivals and organizations like ReFrame to continue to exist, to be accessible, to be accountable, to be rooted in community, and to offer these spaces where people can come together to connect, think, reflect, and hopefully imagine something better — and maybe even start to act towards something better,” says Dueck.
“Attending screenings, participating in conversations, and engaging with the festival and the films — that is a powerful form of support.”
For more information about the 2026 ReFrame Film Festival, including the full lineup, to purchase festival passes and tickets, and to volunteer and donate, visit reframefilmfestival.ca.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the 2026 ReFrame Film Festival.
