Taking place online across Canada January 27 – February 4, 2022, this year’s ReFrame Film Festival program speaks to pressing issues of environmental activism, food justice, refugee stories, Indigenous sovereignty, art as resistance, and the importance of a free press. The full slate of over 70 films will be released in early January but organizers have released a few highlights, including: Opening Night (Thursday January 27): Renowned Anishinaabe journalist, author, public speaker and director Tanya Talaga will present a keynote address to open the festival this year. Along with co-director Michelle Derosier, and inspired by her own book Seven Fallen Feathers, Talaga co-directed the film Mashkawi-manidoo bimaadiziwin: Spirit to Soar, documenting the stories of seven First Nations teenagers who died or went missing while in high school in Thunder Bay, ON.
Local films include The Cost of Freedom, filmmaker James Cullingham’s latest feature about the experiences of refugee journalists in Canada, and Mnoomin: The Gift of the Creator by filmmakers and activists James Whetung and Michelle Fraser, which celebrates and honours the sacred food Mnoomin (wild rice). Wochiigii lo: End of the Peace is an urgent look at British Columbia’s Site C hydro dam project by Haida filmmaker Heather Hatch, and in Food for the Rest of Us, Canadian director Caroline Cox explores radical activism through farming, showcasing four unique and inspiring community food projects.
An impressive array of international films include Nothing But The Sun from director Arami Ullón, a poetic film about an Ayoreo man trying to preserve his culture in Chaco, Paraguay, and Paper & Glue which follows prolific artist JR who creates genre-blending combinations of public art, photography and large format spectacle.
Due to increasing COVID-19 case numbers, ReFrame has decided to postpone in-person screenings and events for this year’s festival until later in 2022. “Keeping the community safe is our top priority, and remaining fully-virtual for a second year is the best way to accomplish that right now”, says Festival Director, Jay Adam. “Despite this difficult decision, we are very excited to unveil some of the highlights of our virtual programs for ReFrame 2022.”
Virtual Festival Passes and 5-Packs are available now through the ReFrame website, with pay-what-you-can tickets for single films to be released in January. ReFrame is a celebration of documentary film and media art with a lens on social and environmental justice, and has been lighting up the heart of winter in Nogojiwanong / Peterborough since 2005. This will be ReFrame’s second virtual festival. For more information, visit www.reframefilmfestival.ca.
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