Heading into its second year,the Dubai International Film Festival is beefing up its presence by appointingfive high-profile new programmers, including former Rotterdam chief Simon Fieldand Tribeca's executive director Peter Scarlet.

South Africa's Nashen Moodley,Arab cineaste Raouf Tewfik and Iraq's Ziad Khuzai join a team which alreadyincludes former LFF director Sheila Whitaker, Canada's Hannah Fisher andIndia's Uma de Cunha.

Field will curate the Cafe Europeand Insights from Asia sidebars, while Scarlet looks after the In The SpotlightHollywood honoree.

DIFF director Neil Stephenson hasalso expanded the number of films at the festival from last year's 76 to 85 in2005. The festival runs from Dec 11-17.