The time has come for filmmakers from diverse cultural communities to make their mark, and Internet distribution will help, says the programming manager of the ReelWorld Film Festival, which kicks off Wednesday in Toronto.

‘Diversity is mainstream now. Especially in Canada. We are told it’s not. But it is,’ says Hayet Benkara. ‘Look at what happened with Little Mosque on the Prairie. We have so much talent here, but unfortunately there are still only a small number of windows to showcase work.’

Benkara also directs the festival’s industry series, which features nine panels this year.

‘One of the issues we are tackling is the dramatic changes that have been happening in the film industry, particularly in terms of production and distribution,’ says Benkara. ‘The alternative marketing opportunities out there are just incredible now. The technology is there, but not everybody understands its potential.’

Benkara envisages a world where a filmmaker can travel around with his film or video stored on his cellphone, ready to project it at a moment’s notice.

Now in its seventh year, the festival is mandated to program work by film and video makers from diverse racial backgrounds. This year there will be 100 screenings over five days, including the opening-night world premiere of the Canadian feature A Winter Tale, directed by Frances-Anne Solomon. Starring Jamaican actress Leonie Forbes and Canadian actor Peter Williams, the film looks at how members of a black community in Toronto deal with the gang-related death of an adolescent. The festival includes seven films from this year’s spotlight country, Jamaica.

The closing night film is Dor, helmed by Nagesh Kukanoor. The festival runs until Sunday.