Something for Everyone: Themes and Collections at ReFrame 2026

ReFrame Film Festival

January 30 – February 8, 2026
Nogojiwanong / Peterborough + Nationwide Online

Graphic by ReFrame Film Festival

Within the documentary genre, artists push boundaries, continually developing and expanding the form. Every year, ReFrame Film Festival presents a lineup of such films, curated with a diverse community of movie-goers in mind. The result is a social and environmental justice documentary film festival that spotlights a range of urgent global issues while embracing a wide range of creative approaches to documentary practice. To bring structure to the selections, the 2026 ReFrame lineup is grouped into thematic collections inspired by the films and the connections they make across the program.

ReFrame’s “Thousand Words” collection explores the ways text and image connect us, divide us, and shape how we see the world. A notable example from this collection is Ewan Waddell’s The Longer You Bleed (February 1 @ 4:45pm in-person + virtual). This personal documentary follows a group of displaced Ukrainians in Berlin, exploring compassion fatigue as the subjects navigate a world of war through their screens. The film is supplemented by experimental audiovisual sequences that arise from the absurdity of their situation.

Still from The Longer You Bleed, courtesy of the production

In some films, the documentary form becomes a way of engaging directly with artistic practice itself. The “Art Beat” collection includes films which highlight growth and resistance powered by art. A wide variety of art practices are showcased in this collection, including dance, music, theatre, visual art and filmmaking itself. Like all of ReFrame’s collections, Art Beat includes feature length films, and stunning shorts like Pidikwe (January 30 @ 7:30pm in-person + virtual). Featuring Indigenous women of all generations, Pidikwe integrates traditional and contemporary dance in an audiovisual whirlwind that straddles the line between film and performance.

Several films in ReFrame’s 2026 lineup explore land sovereignty through deeply rooted relationships between life and place. ReFrame’s “Flora and Fauna” collection focuses on the relationships we have with our fellow living beings. Richard Ladkani’s Yanuni (January 30 @ 7:30pm in-person + virtual) is a powerful part of this collection, revealing the intrinsic connection between Indigenous rights and climate justice. Spanning years of activism and personal sacrifice, the film follows chief Juma Xipaia’s historic fight to stop the assault on the Amazon—for her people, her family, and the planet. This powerful and beautiful film was recently shortlisted for Oscar consideration.

Still from Yanuni, courtesy of the production

ReFrame’s “Sharp Angles” collection brings together films which highlight the power of documentary craft to invite new perspectives on people, events and experiences. The Nest (January 30 @ 4:45pm in-person + virtual-Ontario Only) exemplifies this approach. Incorporating performances informed by lived experience, archival material and projections, The Nest is a politically charged cross-community collaboration that deftly interweaves Indigenous, Deaf, Japanese and South Asian histories: all connected through, and shot on location in, one home in Winnipeg.

For stories grounded in community and family, the “Windows In” collection highlights films that share deeply human perspectives on issues of power and discrimination, including two documentaries produced close to ReFrame’s home in Nogojiwanong / Peterborough.

When the picturesque lakefront town of Cobourg, Ontario, becomes the site of a growing encampment amid a deepening housing crisis, it ignites a community-wide reckoning. Home (January 31 @ 2:45pm in-person + virtual) traces this reckoning through the lived experiences of people residing at the encampment, while situating their stories within the broader realities of the housing crisis. The film delves into the history of the land, chronicles the grassroots efforts offering aid, and exposes the escalating political stakes as the province prepares to sell the property which many are forced to call their home.

No More Silent Battles (January 31 @ 4:45pm in-person + virtual) shares the experiences of four local area families as they navigate the challenges of accessing dementia care. The film explores both the practical and emotional realities for families dealing with this condition, and highlights the positive impact that trained home-care providers can have. The film showcases the urgent need to develop policies and funding models that support dementia care at home.

Still from Holloway, courtesy of the production

Included in the “Women Everywhere” collection, Holloway (January 31 @ 12:30pm in-person + virtual) brings us into the lives of six women who return to the now-abandoned Holloway Prison in North London (UK) to take part in a women’s circle. Sharing some of the most intimate experiences of their lives, they build an eye-opening portrait of a failing system while discovering their extraordinary capacity to heal through sisterhood.

Many of the films in ReFrame Film Festival’s 2026 lineup will resonate with audiences both in Nogojiwanong / Peterborough and with viewers joining virtually from across the country. Over half of the films in ReFrame’s lineup—including all of the films showcased in this article—are part of the virtual program which runs from February 3 – 8, 2026.

ReFrame Film Festival’s in-person program returns to Nogojiwanong / Peterborough from January 30 – February 1, 2026 with over 40 films for its 22nd year. ReFrame is committed to keeping the festival accessible, and offers Pay-What-You-Can pricing for every film.

Passes and Tickets on Sale Now

ReFrame offers a range of pass options for the 2026 festival, including in-person, virtual, and hybrid access. Pay-What-You-Can tickets are available in advance for all individual online and in-person screenings, and will also be offered on a rush basis at in-person venues. Full program details and pass information are available at reframefilmfestival.ca.

Accessibility:
ReFrame’s in-person venues, Market Hall Performing Arts Centre and Showplace Performance Centre in Nogojiwanong / Peterborough are both accessible. ReFrame’s virtual festival is accessible online nationwide.

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