The second DubaiInternational Film Festival is to be held from December 11-17, 2005.

The date of the week-longfestival was decided after a series of discussions with the organizers of theCairo, Marrakech and Damascus film festivals to enhance synergies between majorfestivals from the Arab world.

The discussions focused onthe most appropriate dates for four of the Arab world's leading film festivalsto ensure they do not clash.

The new dates of these fourArab festivals are as follows:

Marrakech International Film Festival: November 11-19, 2005
Damascus International Film Festival: November 20-27, 2005
Cairo International Film Festival: November 29 December 9, 2005
Dubai International Film Festival: December 11-17, 2005.

Festival director NeilStephenson said the 2005 programme and other festival details would beannounced in the coming months, adding that one of his priorities was toincrease the highly successful Arab programming of the festival and tointroduce some special educational events with the specific aim of supportingaspiring young UAE filmmakers.