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IMPACT Festival

Photo of 'The Opposite' by Spectrum Associates. iPhoto caption: Sleman Aldib and an audience member in 'The Opposite.' Still from a trailer by Spectrum Associates.

REVIEW: Kitchener’s biennial IMPACT Festival crackled with urgency

Most of the six works I viewed tackled urgent topics, from the convoluted Canadian immigration system to the Palestinian experience of displacement: explorations that line up with artistic director Pam Patel’s curatorial statement, which discusses how IMPACT ‘25 “unpacks what it means to survive, to resist, and to seek refuge” through a global, Indigenous-focused lens.

By Liam Donovan / Oct 10, 2025