The Dublin InternationalFilm Festival has appointed Grainne Humphreys as its new programme director.Humphreys will join the festival as director designate in January, a monthbefore the 2007 edition kicks off on February 16. This will be the final eventto be programmed by the festival's founder and film journalist, Michael Dwyer,who was recently invested as a Chevalier des Arts etLettres by the French Government.

Humphreys is currently assistantdirector of the Irish Film Institute where she has been responsible for much ofthe organisation's cultural activity, including several annual thematic andgeneric film festivals, special screenings at the IFI's two cinemas, and anextensive education programme.

Greeting on the appointment,David MacLoughlin, chairman of the Dublin International Film Festival said,'The board of the Dublin International Film Festival are particularlypleased to have secured the services of someone as experienced, film literate,well connected and respected in the industry as Grainne Humphreys, who webelieve will be prove to be an excellent and worthy successor to Michael whenhe steps down as festival director.'