ReFrame’s 20th anniversary festival is here! The hybrid social and environmental justice documentary film festival opens January 25 and includes an abundance of ecologically focused programming, both on and off screen.

Don’t miss your chance to catch a talk, in person or online, with guests in attendance at the festival including Melanie La Rosa, director of How to Power a City and Chen Sing Yap and Rowan Mikolic-O’Rourke, director and animator of Feeling the Apocalypse.

There’s more to experience outside the theatre including Imagine. The city we want, installed in six locations around downtown Nogojiwanong/Peterborough.

Students from the Kawartha Pine Ridge School Board’s Youth Leadership in Sustainability (YLS) program have created 11 video vignettes (accessible by QR code) at the GreenUP Store, Artspace, the Peterborough Public Library, Market Hall, Showplace, and the Art Gallery of Peterborough.

In connection with the City of Peterborough’s current climate action plan update, the YLS class has created this series which envisions the fabulous city they live in — in 2044. Encounter these acts of civic imagination and imagine how 20 years of ambitious and creative action by the city, initiated by the progressive climate action plan of 2024, would create an attractive and livable city that has embraced climate justice.

“Much of our messaging around the climate crisis is understandably negative — fear, anger, and blame,” says Cam Douglas, YLS program teacher. “The class has spun the messaging around here: they instead chose a positive message focused on quality of life benefits arising from ambitious climate action. They’ve set their videos in 2044, and have invited us all to find and follow pathways that lead us to this beautiful future. It’s often easier to move forward if you know where you’re headed.”

Be sure to experience Underlying by Laurel Paluck, a part of the ‘Through Lines’ exhibition at Artspace. Featuring a multimedia whale sculpture created from salvaged plastic, Underlying is an exploration of the emotions we experience as we contemplate the concept and realities of climate change. The installation invites visitors to sit or lay by the whale, listen to their song and to take a gentle moment to interpret the feelings that emerge.

Paluck describes the history of Underlying, an installation that was born out of projects created alongside the community. Working with students in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough and in Mexico, Paluck began creating by exploring plastics, their history, and their utility.

“Plastic is a material that I cling to — it is found in abundance in the community,” Paluck says. “It was interesting to ask a group of 10 year olds about what they think the future of plastics is.”

Paluck’s work invites reflection on this and other prescient questions we face as individuals and communities.

“Leaving space for ambiguity is so important for art, to leave people to fill in the spaces themselves when they see the whale,” Paluck explains. “For me, they come to represent so many things. What I hope will come out of this is for us to hear ourselves. If we hear ourselves say ‘Oh, it’s hopeless’, that is important to reflect on too. It’s also important that we know that we are nature.”

Underlying is installed in Gallery 2 at Artspace, where you are welcome to write down your thoughts, or share them during two drop-in recording sessions from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, January 26th and 27th.

This is a perfect space to rest and reflect during the festival and consider films like Plastic Fantastic, which follows several people who deal with the disposal of plastic, as well as its production, and Deep Rising, which exposes the destructive machinations of an organization empowered to extract massive amounts of metals from the deep seafloor.

It all begins with Boil Alert, which illuminates the human dimension of the water crisis in Indigenous communities, on Thursday, January 25 at 7PM at Showplace with a Q&A featuring artist and activist Layla Staats, the subject of this opening night feature.

Celebrate 20 years of ReFrame! In-person, hybrid, and virtual festival passes are available now, as well as individual tickets for virtual screenings, through ReFrame’s website at reframefilmfestival.ca/festival/passes-tickets. Individual tickets for in-person screenings will be available at festival venues on a “rush” basis 15 minutes in advance of each scheduled screening from January 25 to 28.

For more information about the festival, including a guide to all the films, visit reframefilmfestival.ca.

Peterborough actor Christian Rose has a credited role in the upcoming critically acclaimed Canadian film Fitting In, which is set to hit theatres on Friday, February 2nd.

Rose plays the character Greg in the coming-of-age comedy drama, which is written and directed by Molly McGlynn, whose feature directorial debut was 2017’s Mary Goes Round (which won her the Toronto Film Critics Association’s Jay Scott Prize for emerging filmmaker).

Fitting In tells the story of 16-year-old Lindy (Maddie Ziegler) who, concerned she hasn’t had her first period yet, is diagnosed with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome — a condition that causes the vagina and uterus to be underdeveloped or absent, although external genitalia appear normal.

The diagnosis disrupts Lindy’s understanding of womanhood and sexual identity, and throws her relationships into disarray — including with her new boyfriend, her friends at her new high school, and her mother.

Shot in Sudbury, the film is semi-autobiographical, as McGlynn herself was diagnosed with MRKH syndrome as a teenager.

Fitting In premiered last March at the South By Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas under the title Bloody Hell — “Being 16 is just bloody hell, isn’t it?” one of the characters tells Lindy — and then last September under its current title at both the Toronto International Film Festival and the Vancouver International Film Festival, where it won the award for best Canadian film.

VIDEO: “Fitting In” trailer

Rose, whose character Greg appears at the end of the film’s trailer, says shooting the film was “a terrifying, amazing, and emotional experience.”

“I had just gotten out of a long-term relationship less than a week before I started filming,” he says in an email distributed by his talent agency Strutt Central.

“So my heart was in shambles, but the opportunity of filming a movie had a total whiplash effect on me. I went from depressed to euphoric. Everybody I met on the film was a complete gem and provided me with plenty of advice, kindness and love that picked me up in a time where I really needed it.”

The 23-year-old actor, who uses a wheelchair, will also be appearing in two other upcoming feature films: as Blaze in the zombie horror movie Festival of the Living Dead directed by the Soska sisters (Jen and Sylvia Soska), and as Paul the stage director in Out of My Mind, an American coming-of-age drama film based on the 2010 novel of the same name by Sharon M. Draper.

Previously, Rose played the character Dario Maddox in three episodes in the first and only seaoson of NBC’s 2021 sci-fi drama series Debris, from Fringe creator J.H. Wyman.

As for his role in Fitting In, Rose says he’s “honoured” to have his name in the credits.

“I can’t wait to see it in theatres, and I’m so excited to see Molly’s story being told in a really influential way,” he says.

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.