For more than two decades now, the ReFrame Film Festival has offered documentary film lovers “a bright light at the end of January.”
According to festival board chair Melanie Buddle, that’s one of the many reasons for the continued success of the annual festival, which returns for its 22nd year from January 30 to February 8, 2026.
But beyond warming the hearts and minds of winter-weary audiences, Buddle says it’s the power of documentary storytelling that really inspires people to experience the festival year after year.
“Once you’ve seen some great documentaries, you can see the possibilities,” says Buddle. “Sometimes people think a documentary is just a learning tool and it’s going to be very earnest, but that’s not true. Documentaries run the gamut — they’re everything. They’re creative. They’re whimsical. The subject matter is wildly different.”
When ReFrame returns with in-person programming from January 30 to February 1 in downtown Peterborough and Canada-wide virtual programming from February 3 to 8, it will mark Buddle’s second year as the chair of the non-profit organization’s board.
Buddle, who is principal of Peter Gzowski College at Trent University, has been a board member of ReFrame for five years and says her involvement came from her desire to “do something community minded.”
“Peterborough has a really vibrant and incredible arts scene, and it’s only so because everyone supports each other,” she says.
Originally called the “Travelling World Community Festival” until it was renamed in 2009, ReFrame was co-founded in 2005 by Carole Roy and Krista English who, with the help of volunteers from the community and Trent University, had the vision of bringing world-class, global documentaries to Peterborough.
“The stories we offer through films from around the world are stories of people who are inventing and reinventing their social environments, their realities, and their futures,” reads the program from the inaugural festival. “These are people who challenge the limits they face and find a myriad of ways to imagine a better world.”
That original vision continues to be the mandate and focus as ReFrame prepares for the 2026 festival with a lineup of more than 40 documentary films from around the world.
“We’ve had documentaries about Sesame Street and Mr. Dressup, alongside ‘plastic is bad for the world’ documentaries, alongside really hardcore documentaries about race and racism,” says Buddle. “It’s everything, and I think that’s what makes it timeless. People know they’re going to see a wide variety of films.”
Every year, the films are curated with the help of a volunteer program advisory committee and divided into categories that cover a broad range of subject matter and themes to help audiences find the stories they are most interested in.
“Loyal viewers will know that you can’t leave a ReFrame festival feeling only despair — that’s not a fun place to be — but also you don’t want to leave a festival feeling like it was pretty lightweight and there’s not much to learn,” Buddle says.
“It is a balancing act, and many films will be all of that in one. You’re moved, you’re crying, you’re laughing, and you leave with this nice mix of a little sadness and then a little bit of hope. That’s what great art does. It leaves you partly wanting more, but it also puts you through all the emotions. You’re left emotionally breathless and hyper aware and inspired about what we can do.”
Alongside the lineup of documentaries to be screened in-person and virtually, the festival will also feature a series of additional Q&As, workshops, panel discussions, and related performances. These events not only guide the audience’s understanding of the themes and subject matter of the films, but give them behind-the-scenes insight into the production process.
“When you’ve watched a very thought-provoking deep documentary, you often finish with a lot of questions about how they filmed it, where they went, how they know to ask those questions,” Buddle says. “That really enhances that community feel and allows you to immerse yourself in the experience.”
Over more than two decades, ReFrame has remained committed to fostering an experience that is accessible to all audiences. Reasonably priced festival passes, the Community Access Program, and no-questions-asked pay-what-you-can ticket pricing ensures financial barriers do not prevent people from enjoying the festival.
“We continue to maintain that as part of our ethos, and that’s part of giving back to a community and social justice,” Buddle explains. “It shouldn’t be only for people who can afford it. If you want to attend a film, just show up and you can watch.”
Accessibility also means accommodating the needs of all audience members, which means there are “tone notes” for all films, content warnings as appropriate, and sensory supports during screenings including quiet rooms, assisted listening devices, captions, and more.
With its hybrid model since the pandemic of an in-person program and a virtual program, ReFrame essentially delivers two festivals in one with support from two full-time staff members alongside seasonal and contract team members, as well as volunteers — who have been at the heart of the festival since it began. Along with those who donate their time to assist during screenings, volunteers also include the festival’s board and the programming advisory committee.
Buddle says ReFrame has been adamant about maintaining the “ethos of a community-minded approach” with the programming advisory committee.
“That was important because ReFrame had operated as a collective and so, when we went to a more formalized structure, we wanted to keep the creative piece of the collective,” she says. “ReFrame did incredibly well with small budgets for a long time, but you do really hit some burnout. To have a structure where we have volunteers such as the board, and staff members as well, has allowed us to keep its high standard.”
Ahead of the 2026 festival, Buddle is encouraging loyal festival-goers to bring along those who are new to the festival — including young people.
“My challenge to all those that love ReFrame is bring a young person, bring a nephew, bring a kid, bring a grandkid,” she says. “It will help the festival, and the arts community in general in Peterborough, continue to be vibrant if the next generation coming up is attending.”
Buddle adds that community support for the festival — whether by attending, volunteering, donating, or through partnerships and sponsorships — is increasingly important.
“To keep festivals like ReFrame going, and to keep the arts community going, constantly requires funding. Government funding has gotten harder (to secure) and we continue to rely on the generosity of our audiences and our community partners,” Buddle says.
“Thank you to the generosity of Peterborough. This doesn’t happen in every town, so I would like to thank Peterborough/Nogojiwanong at large and our audience for continuing to offer such warm support for this festival because you can’t do it without the people.”
Purchase in-person, virtual, and hybrid passes for the 2026 ReFrame Film Festival at reframefilmfestival.ca, where you’ll also find information about volunteering and donating.
kawarthaNOW is proud to be a media sponsor of the 2026 ReFrame Film Festival.
