Filmmaker Khavn de la Cruz wins in international short film fest

Filmmaker Khavn de la Cruz was named on May 9 one of the winners 52nd Oberhausen International Short Film Festival, one of the oldest and most renowned film festivals in the world. His latest work, Rugby Boyz, received the Special Mention Prize from the Jury of the Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia. The members of the jury are Theda Kluth from Düsseldorf, Agnes Meyer-Brandes from Köln, Michael Girke from Herford, Claudia Siefen from Köln, and Rainer Komers from Mülheim/Ruhr. Rugby Boyz is about boys who know the dual essence of rugby: playing football and sniffing solvent. They tell vampire jokes, rap about river deaths, and dive like jack-knives into the murky water. The cruel irony of the hope these children bring. The jury gave this statement about the film: "With a unique colour and lighting design and a poetic narrative approach, the filmmaker manages to show the boys' indomitable will to live and the fragility of their situation in life." Aside from the International Competition section of Oberhausen, Rugby Boyz was also shown in the Kids and Youth Programme, the only international Children's and Youth Films Competition in Germany. Rugby Boyz had its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival early this year. Though very short, running only 8 minutes, Rugby Boyz had a strong impact on viewers. As Gertjan Zuilhof, the Rotterdam festival programmer, wrote in the catalogue: "A documentary doesn't need to be long. This one already says more than enough." Rugby Boyz will also be competing in the Busan Asian Short Film Festival in South Korea, Hamburg International Short Film Festival in Germany, and Vila Do Conde International Short Film Festival in Portugal. It was also shown in Kampo Sining Pambata 2006, a summer camp for children from urban poor communities, held recently in Antipolo. Rugby Boyz was written and directed by Khavn de la Cruz, with Rayg Generoso as assistant director, Albert Banzon as cinematographer, and Caloy Carlos as editor. Merv Espina did the English translation. It was produced by Filmless Films. Rugby Boyz is included in the first volume DVD collection of short films done by De la Cruz. It is sold exclusively in Datelines Bookstore (Cubao Shoe Expo) and Mag:net (Katipunan, ABS-CBN, & Paseo). - GMANews.TV