Overview
CREATIVE DIRECTOR (PROGRAMMING AND COMMUNICATIONS)
ABOUT REFRAME
ReFrame Film Festival is a community celebration of documentary film and media art centred on social and environmental justice. We aim to build socially active, engaged community audiences through the curated presentation of documentary film and media art. Based in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough, Ontario, ReFrame is entering its 23rd season of presenting the year’s best documentaries from our community, across Canada and around the world. The annual festival takes place in late January/early February in downtown venues, followed by a virtual program available on-demand across Canada.
Throughout the year, ReFrame collaborates with local partners on community screenings and professional development opportunities for the region’s growing filmmaking community. ReFrame is now accepting applications for the position of Creative Director.
ReFrame welcomes applicants of all identities and backgrounds and encourages applications from equity-deserving communities, including women, persons with disabilities, racialized persons, Indigenous Peoples, and people of all gender identities and sexual orientations. We are committed to fostering a positive, supportive, and inclusive environment. Accommodation is available throughout all stages of the hiring process. Please let us know in advance if there’s anything you need to support your application.
POSITION OVERVIEW
ReFrame Film Festival operations are carried out under the direction and supervision of a two-person team, consisting of the Creative Director (CD) and Executive Director (ED). The CD leads the artistic vision, programming, and public-facing communications of ReFrame, working in close collaboration with the ED to ensure both creative excellence and organizational sustainability. The CD is responsible for the artistic vision of ReFrame Film Festival, including film curation, guest and event programming, and the development of a cohesive festival schedule. The role also leads the organization’s communications strategy, including media relations and social media presence. The CD fosters relationships across the arts and culture sector locally and beyond through creative collaborations and partnerships, with a commitment to equity, inclusion, and amplifying diverse voices.
This is a salaried, full-time, year-round position (average of 35 hours/week), with increased hours during peak festival periods and flexibility at other times of the year. The role requires the ability to manage competing priorities and work within tight timelines. Occasional evening and weekend work is required. The ideal candidate will be based in the Nogojiwanong / Peterborough region, with hybrid or remote work possible.
Compensation for this role is $49,000–$55,000 annually, commensurate with experience. This posting is for an existing vacancy. ReFrame does not use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants.
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Compensation
Compensation: $49,000 – $55,000 (annual salary), depending on experience and qualifications. This position includes a comprehensive health benefits package, with ReFrame covering 75% of premiums.How to Apply
Qualified applicants should submit a CV (maximum 4 pages), a writing sample, and a 1-page cover letter as a single PDF to careers@reframefilmfestival.ca with “Creative Director” as the subject line. Applications are due June 1, 2026 at 5PM.About ReFrame Film Festival
ReFrame Film Festival is an international documentary film festival centred on social and environmental justice.
The work of ReFrame would not be possible without the care and connection practiced for thousands of years by the Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg. We recognize that we exist on stolen, treaty, and traditional territories, and we are committed to ongoing learning around privilege, power, and racism. We honour the teachings of the First Peoples, and acknowledge our responsibility to care for one another in the work of uncolonizing and anti-racism.
ReFrame is a community celebration of documentary film and media art. Each winter, audiences gather in Nogojiwanong / Peterborough—and online across Canada—to engage with powerful stories and the conversations they inspire.
Founded in 2005 by Krista English and Carole Roy, ReFrame has grown from a small, collective-run screening series into a nationally respected, justice-driven cultural festival. Early support from a dedicated group of artists and organizers helped shape its collaborative, community-rooted values, which continue to guide the organization today.
What began as a modest program of borrowed films has evolved into a professionally curated mid-winter festival featuring documentary films, filmmaker talks, panels, performances, exhibitions, and community gatherings. ReFrame now welcomes thousands of attendees annually through a hybrid in-person and virtual format, alongside year-round community screenings.
At its core, ReFrame is about storytelling—and about asking critical questions of the stories we share. Documentary film can foster empathy, challenge assumptions, and illuminate lived experience. Our programming considers who is telling the story, whose voices are centred, and how relationships between filmmakers and subjects are held. We prioritize work by equity-deserving, local, and regional artists, and support ethical, accountable storytelling.
A defining feature of ReFrame is its commitment to linking stories on screen with action in the community. Through our Community Partnership program, local organizations help contextualize films and connect audiences to related work happening on the ground. Our Community Access Program distributes free passes and tickets through partner organizations to reduce barriers and support equitable participation.
Today, ReFrame operates under a co-directorship model, balancing creative leadership and organizational stewardship. The festival is supported by a small staff team, a committed Board of Directors, a volunteer Programming Advisory Committee, and a wide network of artists, partners, and community members.
As ReFrame continues to grow and evolve, we remain committed to fostering connection, deepening understanding, and creating space for stories that move us toward more just and caring ways of being together.
