Every Thursday, we publish live music and performance events at pubs and clubs in Peterborough and The Kawarthas based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, January 24 to Wednesday, January 30.

If you’re a pub or club owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our Nightlife Editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com.

On Sunday, February 3rd, New Stages Theatre Company presents its first Page on Stage performance of 2019 with a staged reading of Canadian playwright Kate Hennig’s historical drama The Last Wife at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre.

A departure from New Stages’ usual contemporary pieces, often dealing with topical and sometimes sensitive subject matter, The Last Wife takes the audience to 16th-century England and centres around Katherine Parr, the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII, and her relationship with Henry’s daughters Mary and Elizabeth.

A story of intrigue and politics, The Last Wife deals with one woman’s battle for the rights of women in a society dominated by male patriarchy and includes Linda Kash as Katherine Parr, Michael Riley as King Henry VIII, and Samuelle Weatherdon as the young Elizabeth I.

“I love this period of history,” says New Stages artistic director Randy Read.

“But what I find most interesting about the play is how resonant it is today in terms of what women were dealing with. It is not very different from what women are dealing with today in terms of establishing themselves.”

Premiering in 2015 at the Stratford Festival, The Last Wife is the first in a trilogy of plays by Kate Hennig. The second play, The Virgin Trial, made its debut at Stratford in 2017 and the final play, titled Mother’s Daughter, is scheduled to make its debut at Stratford later this spring.

The Last Wife enjoyed a completely sold-out and extended run at Stratford, followed by a U.S. premiere at TimeLine Theatre in Chicago, and was later remounted at Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre.

The Last Wife revolves around Katherine Parr (1512-1548), the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII of England. She became notable for her campaign to not only have his daughters Mary and Elizabeth educated, but to also give them their succession to the throne despite the fact that Henry already had a male heir in his youngest child Edward.

“When Katherine Parr married King Henry, Edward was somewhere between eight or ten years old, Elizabeth was fourteen, and Mary was in her early twenties,” Randy explains.

“Katherine, who was a really smart woman, wanted to be sure that the girls were educated. Henry, as well as the rest of society, was not prepared to educate those girls because of women’s status in those days. Historically, Henry didn’t care much about the girls, because he had the son he always wanted when Edward was born.”

Randy points out that Edward was a sickly child, but his father didn’t want to see it.

In the end, although Henry’s son was crowned Edward VI of England at the age of nine, Edward’s reign ended six years later when he died at the age of 15 from a terminal illness — when he was succeeded by his half-sister Mary, who became Mary I (also known as Mary Tudor), and five years later by Elizabeth, who became Elizabeth I (also known at The Virgin Queen).

“What Katherine Parr did was force Henry to give his daughters legal entitlement to the throne — first Mary and then Elizabeth. If Henry had not done that, then the girls would have gone elsewhere. Of course Elizabeth became, arguably, the greatest monarch in British history. But she would have not been ready for it, without what Katherine Parr did for her.”

The Last Wife is a departure from the traditional New Stages’ shows that have never delved into historical or costume dramas. However, despite being set in the 16th century, The Last Wife has been written as a contemporary piece for a modern audience.

“We think of ourselves as a contemporary theatre,” Randy says. “While this is a historical piece, it is done in contemporary dialogue. That’s very deliberate on the playwright’s part because she wants the audience to access to these characters.”

Randy emphasizes that audience members don’t need to know the history to enjoy the play.

“Most people do know Henry the VIII and Elizabeth I, and they are the big players. But what’s interesting is how the people around them were responsible for what happened for their success as well.”

Not only does The Last Wife bring Katherine Parr’s story to the forefront, it also creates very human portraits of historical figures who are so faded in time that sometimes it is easy to forget they were more than just storybook characters. The Last Wife allows these characters to live again in surprising and complex ways.

“In this play everyone is human,” Randy tells. “You get to see a young Elizabeth at fourteen with no idea of what will come ahead for her, and to have somebody protecting her and preparing her without knowing that that is what she is doing.

“We also delve into Mary’s feelings. Her parents seemed happy until Catherine of Aragon couldn’t bear Henry a son, so he just cast her aside. As the daughter, are you supposed to forget about that and move forward? You can’t. So there is animosity between her and Henry, but because he is the king and has power she has to walk a very fine line.”

Although Randy is still finalizing the majority of the cast at this writing, like many of his Page on Stage readings, he’s assembling a powerhouse cast of both local favourites and performers from the biggest stages in Ontario.

Confirmed for the role of Katherine Parr is local theatrical icon Linda Kash. A close collaborator with Randy in both his dramatic productions and other Page on Stage readings, Linda — with her own sense of strength and wisdom — is a perfect fit for Katherine Parr.

In the role of young Elizabeth is local performer Samuelle “Sam” Weatherdon making her Page on Stage debut. A familiar face in the Peterborough theatrical community through her appearances at 4th Line Theatre, The Theatre On King, and Planet 12 Productions, at age 13 Sam has become one of the most recognized and respected young actresses in Peterborough. The Last Wife is her return to New Stages following her performance as Rebecca Gibbs in Randy’s production of Our Town in 2017.

In the role of Henry VIII, New Stages welcomes back six-time Gemini award-winning actor Michael Riley. A familiar face on Canadian television, Michael is best known to audiences for his role as Brett Parker from Power Play, Elliott Sacks on This is Wonderland, and Dr. Tom on Being Erica.

New Stages’ Page on Stage presentations are consistently amongst the most powerful and thought-provoking evenings of theatre in the Kawarthas. The material Randy chooses is always smart and the packed audience always engaged and appreciative.

With no costumes or sets, staged readings are a very different way to watch theatre, but serve as a way to allow local audiences to see top talent perform in shows that might otherwise not get produced in Peterborough.

The Last Wife will be performed at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 3rd at the Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough. General admission tickets are $25 ($15 for students, art workers, and the under waged) and are available in person at the Market Hall Box Office or by phone at 705-749-1146 (12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday) or online anytime at markethall.org.

There are only 28 days in February, so that may explain why most of the new content on Netflix Canada in February consists of films and series produced by Netflix. Or maybe the streaming service is hoping to justify its recent price increase.

Regardless, if you’re looking for something that’s not produced by Netflix, you’ll have to settle for some older movies — most notably the final four Harry Potter films. The only recent film coming to Netflix Canada in February is Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, the critically acclaimed documentary on Fred Rogers.

New Netflix films premiering in February include Dear Ex and Velvet Buzzsaw (Feb. 1), El árbol de la sangre and High Flying Bird (Feb. 8), The Breaker Upperers and Yucatan (Feb. 15), The Drug King (Feb. 21), and Firebrand, Paddleton, Paris Is Us (Paris est à nous), and The Photographer of Mauthausen (Feb. 22).

VIDEO: “Velvet Buzzsaw” Trailer

New Netflix original series include: Free Rein: Valentine’s Day, Nightflyers, Russian Doll, and Siempre bruja (Feb. 1); Romance is a Bonus Book (streaming every Saturday starting Feb. 2); Nailed It! México, ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke, and Unauthorized Living (Feb. 8); Flavorful Origins: Chaoshan Cuisine (Feb. 11); Dating Around and Dirty John (Feb. 14); Larry Charles’ Dangerous World of Comedy and The Umbrella Academy (Feb. 15); and GO! Vive a tu manera (Feb. 22).

Returning series include: season two of Bordertown (Feb. 2); season eight of Shameless (Feb. 5); season three of One Day at a Time and season two The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants (Feb. 8); season two of The Break (Feb. 9); volume two of Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (every Sunday starting Feb. 10); season two of The Dragon Prince (Feb. 15); season two of Gomorrah (Feb. 21); volume six of Chef’s Table, season two of Rebellion, season two of Suburra, and season two of The Big Family Cooking Showdow (all on Feb. 22); season three of Van Helsing (Feb. 25); and season three of PAW Patrol (Feb. 28).

Comedy specials include Ray Romano: Right Here, Around the Corner (Feb. 5), Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History (Feb. 8), and Ken Jeong: You Complete Me, Ho (Feb 14).

VIDEO: New to Netflix Canada in February

The only recent movie premiering on Netflix Canada in February is the Fred Rogers’ documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (Feb. 1).

New older movies coming to the streaming platform include the Back to the Future franchise, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the final four Harry Potter films, Schindler’s List, Shrek, The Lego Batman Movie, and U-571 (all on Feb. 1), the Jaws franchise and The 40-Year-Old Vigin (Feb. 6), and The Departed and The Town (Feb. 15), and Kong: Skull Island (Feb. 20).

Here’s the complete list of everything coming to Netflix Canada in February, along with what’s leaving.

Friday, February 1st

• Back to the Future
• Back to the Future Part II
• Back to the Future Part III
• Dear Ex (Netflix Film) – When Sanlian’s ex-husband passes away, she discovers he has altered his insurance policy, cutting out their son in favor of a stranger named Jay. Outraged, Sanlian decides that she and her son will confront Jay, but Jay proves equal to her scheme. However, when her son unexpectedly moves in with Jay, she is forced to reassess her relationship with them both.
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
• Free Rein: Valentine’s Day (Netflix Original) – Zoe and the gang plan a girls only Galantine’s adventure. But when they set out to find the mysterious Maid’s Stone it soon becomes clear they’re not the only ones on the trail. As they race against Pin and Marcus, Holloway, and a not-to-be-trusted Mia, the girls’ friendships are tested to the limits. And, with the end of the quest in sight, Zoe wonders if some things might be better left buried …
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Horrible Bosses
• Nightflyers (Netflix Original) – With humankind’s future at stake, a group of scientists and a powerful telepath venture into the void aboard a spaceship full of secrets.
• Nocturnal Animals
• Russian Doll (Netflix Original) – Russian Doll follows a young woman named Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) on her journey as the guest of honor at a seemingly inescapable party one night in New York City.
• Schindler’s List
• Shrek
• Siempre bruja (Netflix Original) – Siempre bruja follows 18 year old Carmen, a Colombian slave and witch from the 17th century who, in a desperate attempt to save her loved one, travels in time to present day Cartagena. Navigating the waters of this exciting new world, Carmen will soon discover that once a witch, always a witch.
• Snow White & the Huntsman
• The Lego Batman Movie
• The Road to El Dorado
• U-571
• Velvet Buzzsaw (Netflix Film) – Velvet Buzzsaw is a satirical thriller set in the contemporary art world scene of Los Angeles where big money artists and mega-collectors pay a high price when art collides with commerce.
• Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Saturday, February 2nd

• Bordertown: Season 2 (Netflix Original) – Past and present collide in dizzying ways for Kari Sorjonen and his colleague Lena as they investigate murders and other crimes with links to Russia.
• Romance is a Bonus Book (Netflix Original, streaming every Saturday) – A gifted writer who’s the youngest editor-in-chief ever at his publishing company gets enmeshed in the life of a former copywriter desperate for a job.

Sunday, February 3rd

• Sing

Tuesday, February 5

• Ray Romano: Right Here, Around the Corner (Netflix Original) – 23 years after his last stand-up special, comedian, screenwriter, and Emmy Award-winning actor Ray Romano debuts his first Netflix comedy special, Ray Romano: Right Here, Around the Corner. Performing two sets on the same night – one at Manhattan’s Comedy Cellar and the second at the Village Underground, literally around the corner – Romano advises on choosing friends, surviving marriage, and knowing the difference between being old and not being young. The comedy special will launch globally on Netflix February 5th.
• Shameless: Season 8

Wednesday, February 6th

• Battleship
• Jaws
• Jaws 2
• Jaws 3
• Jaws: The Revenge
• Leap Year
• The 40-Year-Old Virgin

Friday, February 8th

• Nailed It! México (Netflix Original) – The fun, fondant and hilarious cake fails head to Mexico, where very amateur bakers compete to re-create elaborate sweet treats for a cash prize.
• El árbol de la sangre (Netflix Film) – Marc (Álvaro Cervantes) and Rebeca (Úrsula Corberó) are a young couple who goes to an old farmhouse belonging to Marc’s family. There, they write the shared story of their roots, creating a large family tree that harbors 25 years of love, heartbreak, sex, madness, jealousy and infidelity… and under which lies a deep mystery that marked their lives. Over their days at the farmhouse, each one will reveal secrets from their past to the other, putting their own love story in danger.
• High Flying Bird (Netflix Film) – In the midst of a pro basketball lockout, sports agent Ray Burke (André Holland) finds himself caught in the face-off between the league and the players. His career is on the line, but Ray is playing for higher stakes. With only 72 hours to pull off a daring plan, he outmaneuvers all the power-players as he uncovers a loophole that could change the game forever. The outcome raises questions of who owns the game – and who ought to. Directed by Academy Award winner Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) from a script by Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney (Moonlight), HIGH FLYING BIRD features an acclaimed ensemble cast that includes Zazie Beetz, Melvin Gregg, Sonja Sohn, Zachary Quinto, Kyle MacLachlan and Bill Duke, plus appearances from NBA athletes Reggie Jackson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Donovan Mitchell.
• Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History (Netflix Original) – In this 1+ hour comedic special, Kevin Hart plays himself while discussing the fascinating contributions of lesser known individuals from Black history through the lens of various educational reenactments.
• One Day at a Time: Season 3 (Netflix Original) – Penelope studies to become a nurse practitioner, Elena and Syd grow closer, Alex gets punished, Lydia tackles a bucket list, and Schneider falls in love.
• ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke (Netflix Original) – REMASTERED: A long form documentary series of high profile, in-depth stories about music’s impact on society, as told by critically acclaimed directors, with each episode revealing surprising insight beyond the expected or commonly known. SAM COOKE: Sam Cooke was the most influential black musician of the Civil Rights Movement and advocated for the rights of black musicians, frustrating the white establishment. An investigation into the circumstances and controversy surrounding his shooting death include theories that he had been robbed and “trick-rolled’ by a woman, later revealed to be a prostitute. But many believe in a larger societal set up; namely that he was targeted by music industry moguls with links to the mob who all wanted him dead for emerging as a totem for black musicians’ rights.
• The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants: Season 2 (Netflix Original) – George and Harold have to keep their grades up to go to summer camp. But it’s a tall order with Melvin — and a cyborg Melvin — running the school!
• Unauthorized Living (Netflix Original) – An influential Galician drug cartel leader must seek out his successor while keeping his degenerative disease a secret.

Saturday, February 9th

• The Break: Season 2 (Netflix Original) – Yoann Peeters finds himself tangled in another disturbing murder case when his former psychiatrist asks for help proving a patient’s innocence.

Sunday, February 10th

• Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj: Volume 2 (Netflix Original, streaming every Sunday) – Hasan Minhaj’s informative and innovative comedy show returns with more deep dives into global politics and culture.

Monday, February 11th

• Flavorful Origins: Chaoshan Cuisine (Netflix Original) – Delve into the delectably diverse world of Chinese cuisine and discover its regional variations and unique histories.

Thursday, February 14th

• Dating Around (Netflix Original) – Every episode, one single goes on five first dates filled with flirty banter, awkward exchanges and moments of true connection. Who will get a second date? Netflix’s first original dating show takes an honest and compelling look at the real world of dating.
• Dirty John (Netflix Original) – Anthology series’ first season tells the story of how a romance with the charismatic John Meehan spiraled into secrets, denial, manipulation and, ultimately, survival – with horrific consequences for an entire family.
• Ken Jeong: You Complete Me, Ho (Netflix Original) – Comedian, actor and former physician Ken Jeong returns to his stand-up roots for his first-ever Netflix comedy special, Ken Jeong: You Complete Me, Ho. Filmed at the Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena, California, where Jeong first got his start in comedy, You Complete Me, Ho reflects on how Jeong went from being a doctor to a comedy superstar and opens up about how his wife’s courageous battle with breast cancer led to him starring in one of the biggest comedy franchises of all time, The Hangover. The special is directed and executive produced by Jon M. Chu, who also directed Jeong in the groundbreaking box office phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians. Den of Thieves produced the special with Executive Producers Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager, Jared Morell, Jordan Barrow, and Brett Carducci.

Friday, February 15th

• Larry Charles’ Dangerous World of Comedy (Netflix Original) – Legendary comedy writer and director Larry Charles travels the world in search of humor in the most unusual, unexpected and dangerous places.
• The Breaker Upperers (Netflix Film) – Two women run a business breaking up couples for cash but when one develops a conscience their friendship unravels.
• The Departed
• The Dragon Prince: Season 2 (Netflix Original) – Rayla and the princes hurry toward Xadia with their precious cargo. But Claudia and Soren are close behind — and determined to stop them.
• The Town
• The Umbrella Academy (Netflix Original) – Reunited by their father’s death, estranged siblings with extraordinary powers uncover shocking family secrets — and a looming threat to humanity.
• Yucatan (Netflix Film) – Competing con artists attempt to creatively and ruthlessly swindle a fatherly lottery winner while on a lively cruise from Spain to Mexico.

Wednesday, February 20th

• Kong: Skull Island

Thursday, February 21st

• Gomorrah: Season 2
• The Drug King (Netflix Film)

Friday, February 22nd

• Chef’s Table: Volume 6 (Netflix Original) – A renowned Italian butcher, an Indian chef in London and two stars of Southern U.S. cuisine share their culinary journeys.
• Firebrand (Netflix Film) – A contemporary story about relationships and the highs and lows people deal with in their lives
• GO! Vive a tu manera (Netflix Original) – Fiercely talented Mia receives a scholarship to a prestigious dance academy, where she soon clashes with the owner’s fashionable and popular daughter.
• Paddleton (Netflix Film) – An unlikely bromance between two misfit neighbors becomes an unexpectedly emotional journey when the younger man is diagnosed with terminal cancer.
• Paris Is Us (Paris est à nous) (Netflix Film) – Dreams and reality collide as a young woman navigates a tumultuous relationship amid rising social tensions, protests and tragedies in Paris.
• Rebellion: Season 2 (Netflix Original) – As the conflict between the British government and the revolutionary Dáil rages, personal connections cloud allegiances for participants on both sides.
• Suburra: Season 2 (Netflix Original) – As the fight for land, money and power intensifies, young upstarts Aureliano, Spadino and Lele conspire to seize control of Rome’s criminal underworld.
• The Big Family Cooking Showdown: Season 2 (Netflix Original) – The competition continues as 16 more foodie families put their cooking skills to the test to impress new judges Angellica Bell and Tommy Banks.
• The Photographer of Mauthausen (Netflix Film) – Imprisoned at the concentration camp of Mauthausen during WWII, Catalan photographer Francesc Boix struggles to survive while saving other people and hiding film negatives that will later help incriminate Nazis.

Monday, February 25th

• Van Helsing: Season 3 (Netflix Original) – Vanessa and Scarlet embark on a search for the four Elders whose totems can raise the Dark One, while the new threat of vampire daywalkers grows.

Tuesday, February 26th

• Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments: Season 3B (Netflix Original) – The saga of Clary Fray and her adventures with angels, demons, vampires and werewolves wraps up in a surprising, thrilling series conclusion.

Thursday, February 28th

• Billy Graham: An Extraordinary Journey
• PAW Patrol: Season 3

Leaving Netflix Canada in February

Friday, February 1st

• 8 Mile
• Batman vs. Robin
• The King’s Speech

Tuesday, February 5th

• Cloverfield

Wednesday, February 6th

• Sharknado

Friday, February 15th

• Ella Enchanted
• Scream 4

All titles and dates are subject to change.

Volunteers are at the heart of ReFrame, the documentary film festival that wouldn’t have started without them. With the opening night launch of the 15th anniversary festival just days away, ReFrame volunteers — both experienced and green — gathered at Showplace this past Sunday (January 20) to get ready for the big weekend.

Ferne Cristall has been there since the beginning, as a volunteer on the Collective and the Programming Committee. She took a moment to reflect on how the festival has changed over the past 15 years.

“It started very small, with no funding and no structure — as an idea,” she recalls. “A few crazy people wanted to bring films to town and we started doing that through another festival, the Travelling World Community Festival.”

Since 2005, ReFrame has been lighting up the darkest time of year with the best social justice documentaries from across Canada and around the world. ReFrame’s goal is to foster meaningful connections between audiences, filmmakers and artists, community partners, and neighbours.

Initially supported by the Kawartha World Issues Centre, ReFrame became independent over time, developed its structures, developed the board and committees — all while planning operations with no staff. Eventually funding came through and they were able to hire one main person. Krista English, who was a founder, led the organization as executive director for 14 years.

Now ReFrame employs three people, though not on permanent or full-time basis — yet. Amy Siegel was hired back in the summer of 2018 as the festival’s first Creative Director, alongside new Festival Director Jay Adam, who came on bpard during the festival last year.

This year, featuring over 70 films at three venues, with dozens of partners and sponsors, the running of the festival still depends on a dedicated team of volunteers. Collective and board members work year-round to ensure the festival runs smoothly. It takes months for Collective members and the Programming Committee to view and carefully select films, while board members raise funds and secure resources to ensure the future of the organization.

“I just want to say thank you to all of you who show up year after year and to those of you who work year-round,” board chair Julia Harrison said to the crowd gathered in the Nexicom Studio at Showplace on Sunday. “It’s also nice to see some new faces this year.”

Julie Otto is one of those new faces, volunteering at ReFrame for the first time this year. She has just moved back to Peterborough after working and living in the U.S. for 35 years. A documentary filmmaker herself, she saw the ReFrame flags on Water Street and reached out to get involved.

“It’s a good cause and I’m here to volunteer and meet people,” Julie says.

Her passion is documentary film and she’s really looking forward to “just to seeing everything! Every genre. Film and video bring things alive in a way that pictures can’t. It can move people and memory and emotion. I have a love of documentary films.”

VIDEO: Festival Volunteers — ReFrame 2019

Hoots and hollers filled the room on Sunday as volunteer coordinators Andrea Monos and Kathleen Shea Gehmair took to the podium to welcome the crowd to the 15th year of the festival. A short by Lester Alfonso played, showing every title to come with inspirational messages from ReFrame supporters and volunteers and the day’s orientation began.

Volunteers learned about their tasks, including:

• ushering crowds in and out of theatres before and after every film
• ensuring pass holders have first entry to the theatres before any rush seats are sold
• helping audience members exchange their online receipts for their festival passes at Showplace
• rotating shifts down to the fantastic food court in the lounge at Showplace
• directing donors with their envelopes to lobby drop boxes
• encouraging participation in audience surveys for critical feedback
• helping sell raffle tickets that ensure financial footing for next year

and the list goes on.

“Now this is really amazing,” says Ferne, “so many volunteers and so many different kinds.”

For her and for Collective and Board members, “we become location managers — to troubleshoot and oversee what needs to be done and where everybody has to be.”

Volunteer organizers are hosting filmmakers, introducing films, running question and answer periods, directing audiences to panel discussions and events out in the community, and assisting sponsors to introduce films.

For Ferne, getting to meet filmmakers and dig into films is what it’s all about. ReFrame captures the energy of people learning new things from talking to each other, hearing from panellists — everyone with the desire to improve the world.

“ReFrame is also a special model because of its sponsors and how they create community involvement,” she says. “Even if they don’t work on ReFrame, they feel like they are a part of it. They are a part of it.”

Ferne is looking forward to the screening of The Rest I Make Up. She said that it’s about a Cuban theatre person in New York who is learning to cope with dementia, working with a young filmmaker.

“It really gets you to think of the awareness of people who are learning to deal with dementia.”

Volunteer Tes Nasca took a moment to describe the VR (virtual reality) project Biidaaban: First Light that this year’s festival brings to festival pass holders.

“It’s a nine-minute, virtual reality experience of a futuristic Toronto where the lands have been reclaimed,” Tes explains. “It’s an example of Indigenous futurism.”

The VR experience is included in the festival pass and one-day passes, but timeslots are limited so registration is required in advance.

Nasca has been volunteering for ReFrame on the Collective and Programming Committee for four years, but has been coming to the festival for eight or nine years since arriving in town.

“It’s a really great way to bring people together at this cold time of year to learn and share and celebrate.”

Tes also recommends the film Gospel of Eureka, one that was a bit of a surprise this year. It’s a joyful film about a Bible Belt town in the U.S. that embraces both religious and drag pageantry.

Mbongeni Mtetwa (Mbo) is the vice-chair of the Board of Directors, but he also volunteered on the collective for four years and worked as a festival coordinator for a year. He has been a projectionist for the festival at Market Hall for his entire five years with the festival.

“I like it when people who sit in front of me recognize me and say ‘hey, you’re still here! Good to see you’re still here Mbo.’ You know where to find me because I’m always the projectionist at Market Hall.”

“I’ve tried not to look at the schedule this year,” Mbo says, because he’ll see all of the films at Market Hall. He’s looking forward to Youth Unstoppable on opening night because he will get to be with everybody.

“It’s always exciting to see youth come together,” he says. “People can grow up and become jaded; it’s nice when youth just do things because they haven’t grown up to be told that they can’t yet. I try to live my life this way.”

Volunteer coordinators Kathleen and Andrea say it’s a great group this year.

“Just the fact that some of them have been here every year and they keep coming back,” Kathleen says. “Though there are a lot of new faces this year, which is exciting.”

Being programmers as well, Kathleen and Andrea have seen all the films and a few titles come up that stand out for them.

“Minding the Gap, Biggest Little Farm, Water Warriors — The Cleaners is fantastic,” says Andrea, who also noted that it’s great to see more shorts in the program this year.

Kathleen volunteers often at other film festivals.

“ReFrame is a great atmosphere because people who love documentary film LOVE documentary film,” she says. “It’s a passion. It’s intimate at ReFrame.”

“New people are always surprised at how many people are here,” Andrea adds. “Theatres are full and restaurants are packed and that’s something at this time of year. ReFrame just brings people who are directly from this community together with filmmakers who come from around the world to see this amazing festival.”

Thursday opening night tickets and festival passes are available online at reframe.tickit.ca.

They can also be purchased in person (cash only) in Peterborough at the GreenUP Store (378 Aylmer St. N., 705-745-3238) and Watson & Lou (383 Water St., 705-775-7568), in Lakefield at Happenstance Books & Yarns (44 Queen St., 705-652-7535) and in Millbrook at Pastry Peddler (17 King St. E., 705-932-7333).