If you’re like me, you might have started hibernating this winter, refusing to make plans outside the house if only so it means you don’t have to shovel the driveway and clear the snow off your windshield.

That’s one of the perks to this year’s hybrid delivery of the ReFrame Film Festival, which has more than 60 social and environmental justice films lined up for the course of the festival from January 25 to February 4. With tickets available for the festival’s virtual theatre beginning January 29, you can sit back in your living room, cup ‘o joe in hand and a furry friend by your side, while immersing yourself in award-winning storytelling.

But if you’re looking to crawl your way out of hibernation (also, occasionally, like me) and would rather connect with others over the shared experience of the theatre, the in-person portion of the festival includes Q&As with special guests and filmmakers, expert panellists, art installations, and creative workshops. The in-person screenings in downtown Peterborough are launching with opening night celebrations this Thursday and continue over the weekend.

Then, of course, for the best of both worlds (which is the title of one of the many films), the ReFrame Film Festival has all-access passes, allowing viewers to attend all in-person events before they enjoy the virtual theatre in their comfort of their own home.

From many eye-opening films exploring themes of oppression, violence, inequality, and suffering, to the empowering ones full of activism, overcoming stigma, power, and resistance, there are so many films you don’t want to miss at the 20th anniversary ReFrame. Here are some must-watch films at this year’s festival.

Boil Alert (2023, 98 mins)

Thursday, January 25 at 7 p.m. at Showplace Performance Centre

We hear the stats about the safe water crisis in communities across North America (there are currently 29 long-term drinking water advisories in effect in 27 communities in Canada) but this opening might feature puts a face, a person, and a story to the statistics.

In Boil Alert, a Mohawk activist journeys to several First Nations reserves — including some not far from Peterborough-Nogojiwanong — to illuminate this devastating struggle for clean water while learning about herself in the process. Like many of the films being screened this year, this film documents a human rights crisis that is happening now, making it a perfect film to launch the 20th annual festival.

Layla Staats, the woman who visits the communities and a musician, artist, and activist in her own front, while be in attendance at the opening night gathering for a post-screening Q&A along with Joshua Neuman, the film’s co-producer.

Loud & Here (2023, 12 mins)

Friday, January 26 at 12:30 p.m. at Showplace Performance Centre

This short documentary follows a group of teenage girls doing something a group of teenage girls should never have to do: they’re standing up to bring attention to the large number of sexual violence cases that go unreported and unpunished.

We hear about it all the time and know it happens, and yet, seeing these young girls having to use their voices is a powerful reminder of who we put in danger when we don’t listen. Content warning: sexual assault.

Queendom (Agniia Galdanova 2023, 101 mins)

Friday, January 26 at 8 p.m. at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre

The story of a fearless activist, this one is sure to stay with us long after we’ve seen it — and only in part because we continue to see these protests happening now. The documentary follows Gena Marvin, a queer performance artist from Russia who, putting her life at risk, dresses in hand-made (often pain-inducing) costumes to protest the attacks on Ukraine, the conservative and homophobic nature of Russia, or both, on the streets of Moscow.

Queendom is screening with Poisoned Well, another story of violence against the LGBTQ+ community through intimate interviews given after the terrorist attacks on Bratislava, Slovakia in 2022.

Shorts: Wshkiigmong Dibaajmownan / Curve Lake Storytelling

Saturday, January 27 at 12:30 p.m. at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre

At the core of ReFrame’s mission is to take the conversations presented onscreen and create dialogue around how it affects us locally. So what better way than to hear stories from filmmakers living here in the Kawarthas?

Six filmmakers from Curve Lake First Nation will be screening their shorts before coming together for a panel to share Anishinaabe knowledge. Screenings include The Rez from Sarah Lewis, My Storytelling from Marg Knott, For the Little Girl who Dances from the South by Missy Knott, Turtle Crossing from Jonathan Taylor, The Best of Both Worlds by Carol Taylor, and My Beginnings from Marilyn Knott.

The Wshkiigmong Dibaajmownan/Curve Lake Storytelling panel will be moderated by Nadine Changfoot and Alice Olson Williams and features a traditional dance performance by Kelli Marshall.

Plastic Fantastic (2023, 102 mins)

Saturday, January 27 at 2:45 p.m. at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre

From its production to its disposal and to its aftermath of those who walk around beaches picking it up, this film deals with the ongoing global plastic crisis. Beyond that, it is a film about circular production, greenwashing, microplastics, and carbon emissions.

And perhaps most importantly of all, in a time when we so often hear about hopelessness of our planet, this film is about finding solutions.

Plastic Fantastic will also be screened in the Virtual Theatre from January 29 to February 4.

Sarura. The future is an unknown place (2022, 80 mins)

Saturday, January 27 at 5:15 p.m at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre

A group of young Palestinians called “The Youth of Sumud” (the youth of steadfast perseverance) fight against the Israeli military occupation at the edge of the Negev dessert. There, they aim to return to their people the land that was taken from their families in the late 1990s. Another of many generations who can’t predict a future with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, they are restructuring the ancient cave village of Sarura while facing aggression with nonviolent action.

Director Nicola Zambelli will be a guest speaker at the screening.

Sarura. The future is an unknown place will also be screened in the Virtual Theatre from January 29 to February 4.

Kirby’s House (2023, 18 mins)

Saturday, January 27 at 5:15 p.m. at Showplace Performance Centre

Local producer, editor, and director Rob Viscardis will be in attendance for a Q&A to go allow with the screening of his film Kirby’s House. While simultaneously pointing to the growing global affordability crisis, this documentary follows Kirby, who lives with an intellectual disability, as he thrives living on his own while supported by caring neighbours. At a time when Kirby’s story is unfortunately not typical, he becomes an inspiration in this story about being a good neighbour.

Kirby’s House will also be screened in the Virtual Theatre from January 29 to February 4.

Losing Blue (2023, 15 mins)

Sunday, January 28 at 10 a.m. at Showplace Performance Centre

One of the first things I noticed about Losing Blue is the trailer shows off the ever-familiar mountain peak backdrop of Lake Louise, Alberta — an image that is conjured up when tourists think of the natural landscapes of Canada and oftentimes the first photos to pop up on any search engine. You can’t go there any day in the summer or even a weekend in the winter without there being crowds of people lined up for canoes, to skate on the pond, or take their photos in front of that stunning blue water. It’s recognizably Canadian.

So, what if we lose it? That’s what this documentary is asking us — or telling us. Called a “cinematic poem,” Losing Blue is about the impending loss of the extraordinary, ethereal blues of ancient glacier-fed lakes due to accelerated environmental shifts caused by climate change. It’s an eye-opening glimpse of the slow but sudden changes affecting our planet.

Losing Blue will also be screened in the Virtual Theatre from January 29 to February 4.

Periodical (2022, 95 mins)

Sunday, January 28 at 2:45 p.m. at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre

A (not so) fun fact I learned from just the Periodical trailer alone: the word “hysteria” (which is often emotionally charged or meaning an “uncontrollable” emotion or reaction) is derived from the Greek word “hystera” which means uterus. Needless to say, you will never hear me say or use this word in my writing ever again.

Screening in-person and virtually at ReFrame, Periodical is a long-overdue and empowering conversation regarding the menstrual cycle, from the first to last. This enlightening documentary from Lina Lyte Plioplyte uncovers truths, challenges taboos, and breaks down the stigma around the mystery of the menstrual cycle. I’m sure there will be much more to learn from this eye-opening documentary.

Periodical will also be screened in the Virtual Theatre from January 29 to February 4.

Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make Believe (2023, 94 mins)

Sunday, January 28 at 5:15 p.m. at Showplace Performance Centre

I think it says a lot that this heart-warming documentary is the closing feature for a film festival that’s all about connecting each other through what’s shown on screen. That’s exactly what Mr. Dressup did for so many kids for so many years.

With 4,000 episodes and nearly 30 years of filming (not to mention countless re-runs), this children’s show transcends generations: I watched it with my grandmother after coming home from kindergarten in the early 2000s, while my mother watched in growing up in the ’60s. That tickle truck is for everyone.

This film pays tribute to Ernie Coombs and his legacy in showing that imagination doesn’t end when you reach adulthood, while celebrating the expansiveness of gender. Fun fact: did you know Coombs received an honourary doctorate from Trent University in 2001? Come to the screening to discover more connections to the Nogojiwanong community.

Producer Greg Floyd will be in attendance, doing a Q&A after the screening.

For more information about the ReFrame Film Festival, including a complete film guide, and to order passes and tickets, visit reframefilmfestival.ca.

kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the 2024 ReFrame Film Festival.

The passage of time has done nothing to diminish Pat Temple’s vivid memory of musician Willie P. Bennett on one particular 1974 evening at Smale’s Pace, a then very popular London, Ontario coffeehouse now long gone.

“Dixie Flyers, a bluegrass band, was playing,” recalls Temple.

“Bert Baumbach, the band leader, said ‘We’re going to get Willie up to sing a few tunes.’ He grabbed a guitar and played solo between sets. He just blew everybody away. I couldn’t believe how great he was. Something resonated with me — his voice, his songwriting, everything.”

Fifty years on, Willie P. Bennett’s music continues to resonate, influencing countless musicians across Canada, Temple among them.

So much so that Blue Valentine, an annual tribute to the legendary singer-songwriter, debuted shortly after Bennett’s unexpected death in 2008.

On Saturday, February 10th at Jethro’s Bar + Stage at 137 Hunter Street West in downtown Peterborough, the 16th Blue Valentine tribute will take to the stage from 2 to 5 p.m.

Joining Temple is a number of local musicians, among them Al Black, Gary Peeples, Kayla Howran, and Washboard Hank, who organized the first few Blue Valentine events before Temple picked up the mantle.

VIDEO: Willie P. Bennett as the Festival of Friends in Hamilton in 1976

Born in Toronto, Bennett was a fixture on the 1970s folk music landscape, having released his first single “White Line” in 1969. As well as being a singer-songwriter, he was an accomplished harmonica player and mandolinist.

Yet, for all his talent, his comfort zone was as a sideman in bands fronted by others, such as Joe Hall, Fred Eaglesmith, and Temple, whose HiLO Players brought him into the studio for three albums in the early 1990s.

In 1996, Bennett returned to prominence when Stephen Fearing, Colin Linden, and Tom Wilson formed Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, named after Bennett’s 1979 album of the same name. The group subsequently recorded an album featuring Bennett’s songs.

During a 2007 Victoria Day weekend concert in Midland, Bennett suffered a heart attack on stage. He played on but was forced to stop touring. Despite efforts to take care of his health, on February 15, 2008 he suffered another heart attack — this time fatal — in the Peterborough home he shared with local artist Joe Stable. He was just 56 years old.

“It was really sad for all of us,” says Temple.

“He probably would still be alive if he had gone for bypass surgery. I don’t know if he talked himself out of it or his doctor said he’d be okay with that. That’s a big decision for anybody to make, right?”

VIDEO: “Blackie And The Rodeo King” – Willie P. Bennett (1977)

In the 1980s, long after that initial introduction to Bennett, Temple, who was living in Toronto, was busking on a street with two others. Quite by chance, Bennett was walking by.

“He stopped to listen for a minute,” Temple recalls. “He asked ‘Where are you playing? Can I sit in with you guys?'”

“We were playing at Sneaky Dee’s. He showed up and played with us. At the time, I was playing a lot of minor key swing music — like western swing meets eastern swing sort of stuff. He really enjoyed trying to play the harmonica in minor keys. That’s a whole different thing on the harmonica.”

Beyond their musical collaboration that night and later with The HiLO Players, Temple and Bennett had a special friendship.

“He was a pretty complicated person,” says Temple.

“He was kind of flippant. He had his good days and his bad days — as we all do — but he was a great friend. He would do anything for you. I think that’s part of his legacy. He was good to his friends. He gave me a guitar. He gave me a mandolin. He was just that kind of person.”

Asked if he can narrow down to a few words what is at the heart of Bennett’s legacy, Temple comes back quickly with one word: soul.

“He had that thing, you know, but it was just pure soul,” he says, noting it didn’t hurt matters that Bennett was born at the right time, in 1951, to find himself squarely in the folk genre mix that dominated the Canadian music scene in the early 1970s.

“He hit that wave of singer-songwriter just slightly after it was getting radio play,” says Temple. “It would have been nice for him to be able to get commercial radio play but it wasn’t a game changer for him. He just did his thing.”

“I don’t really think he was really that interested in fame,” Temple adds. “I think he was kind of scared of it, as a lot of people are. He was kind of a shy person. But he was so great. His first two records (Tryin’ To Start Out Clean and Hobo’s Taunt) are amazing. The songs are so heartfelt — so beautiful.”

In total, from 1975 to 1998, Bennett recorded eight albums, the last of the bunch being Heartstrings, which earned him a 1999 Juno Award for Best Solo Roots and Traditional Album — proof that fame will sometimes find those who aren’t looking for it.

Of note, Heartstrings features the song “Blue Valentine,” adopted since as the name of his annual tribute. Featuring Russell deCarle and Keith Glass of Prairie Oyster, the video for “Blue Valentine” marked Bennett’s first foray into that medium — “A great song and a cool little video to watch,” assesses Temple.

VIDEO: “Blue Valentine” – Willie P. Bennett

The Blue Valentine tribute was staged at Jethro’s Bar + Stage last year. In previous years, it was held at The Garnet and, for the 10th anniversary tribute, The Black Horse was the venue.

“It was packed,” recalls Temple of that show, noting that people were asked on Facebook for their favourite song of Bennett’s, drawing “hundreds of responses from across Canada.”

Temple readily admits this iteration of Blue Valentine “will be emotional for me.”

“But I love hearing all the different voices doing his songs. It’s really, amazing. I think he (Bennett) would be a little embarrassed by all the fuss but, on the other hand, he would probably love it.”

Available for purchase at the 16th annual Blue Valentine will be Bennett’s last recording made in fall 2007, just months before his death. It was recorded in Winnipeg at producer Jaxon Haldane’s home. The songs were first heard on a Bennett legacy website that Haldane started in 2014.

“The songs are a real jewel — just Willie playing so well,” assesses Temple.

“We made up some CDs that people can purchase by donation. Any money that comes in goes toward gas for people coming in from out of town. The event is a break-even thing. We also like helping out the pub. It’s tough to run a music venue these days.”

VIDEO: “Patience of A Working Man” – Willie P. Bennett (1993)

Temple, meanwhile, is coming off what he terms “a great year”; one that saw him busy performing at festivals, including Lakefield’s Jazz, Art and Craft Festival where his band was joined by Peterborough-based fusion electric violinist Victoria Yeh.

“I’m still out there doing my thing,” says Temple.

“I’m working on possibly going to the East Coast this spring. I’m also working on a new album. I’ve got two or three songs cut. I’m hoping to get that finished this year.”