DUNEDIN, Fla. — Some movie magic is taking place this weekend in Dunedin.

The seventh annual Dunedin International Film Festival started Wednesday, kicking off the five-day event for people to watch films from 11 different countries, including some movies made in the Bay area.

“It's really a great thing to have here,” said Katie Ducharme, a member of the film festival’s board.

Ducharme lives in Dunedin and works as a real estate agent while also supporting and contributing to the arts in the city.

About seven years ago, they had the idea of starting a film festival and it’s grown to the point where filmmakers from several countries submit their work and people come to support the area.

“It's really just a passion project for so many people,” Ducharme said. “Especially the arts here in Dunedin, with the theater initiative and everything going on in Dunedin with the arts and culture.”

It’s a passion for the volunteers helping put the red-carpet area in place, testing the audio and creating a theater-like atmosphere outside Dunedin House of Beer.

“It’s very community based and community driven,” Ducharme said. “These are all local volunteers that come help and set up and do everything.”

It couldn’t come at a better time.

Dunedin was one of numerous coastal communities that dealt with damage from Hurricane Helene.

Though work along the coast continues, many businesses have recovered, and to Ducharme, the arts are a crucial thing to help people get through tough times.

“It just kind of brings a sense of normalcy with so much, trauma going on with all of that right now,” she said. “This kind of brings everybody together and just brings people to remember, you know, what Dunedin's all about.”

They are screening 44 films this year with panels from some of the actors and filmmakers.

The festival started on Wednesday and runs through Sunday night.