ReFrame Film Festival hires creative director

Amy Siegel has been hired as the ReFrame Film Festival’s creative director.

ReFrame is a three-day community documentary film festival that is marking its 15th anniversary. The next festival will run from Jan. 24 to 27.

“The festival’s mission, clearly rooted in community, is very much aligned with my own interdisciplinary and collaborative practice,” Siegel explained.

Festival founder and long-time executive director Krista English retired in March and following her departure Jay Adam stepped into the role as the new festival director.

Siegel — a graduate from the Documentary media MFA Program at Ryerson University in downtown Toronto was the perfect fit for creative director, according to Adam.

“Amy’s rich background in documentary film, event production and community arts and development will be a huge benefit to ReFrame as we celebrate 15 years of film and art with the communities of Peterborough,” Adam said.

Siegel has done documentary production for CBC’s Doc Project, written for POV Magazine, and has a forthcoming book chapter about feminist interventions in performance wrestling, as a program co-ordinator for the Studio for Media Activism and Critical, Adam says.

The festival is an annual celebration of documentary film and raises awareness about local and international issues.

The festival will be screening 60 to 70 films at venues in downtown Peterborough at places such as, Galaxy Cinemas, Showplace, Market all and The Venue.

Art performances’ will also be at downtown galleries like Art space and Evans contemporary.

Adam was hired in September as festival manager. He is an English and philosophy graduate and has always had a passion for documentary film.

“Documentary media has always struck me as a pure form of storytelling, with the camera’s lens providing an objective view of the subject,” Adam said.