Oscar winning director Roland Joffe will be the Patron of Honour at the 2011 WOVD Standing Volleyball World Cup next month.

Academy Award nominated director of The Killing Fields, Roland Joffe, has been named as the official Patron of Honour of the 2011 WOVD Standing Volleyball World Cup, which opens on July 23.

According to the local organising committee of the World Cup, the prestigious position has been granted in recognition of Joffe’s contribution in raising awareness internationally about Cambodia through his highly acclaimed movie.

The committee has also acknowledged the director’s ongoing support of more than 20 years to the Cambodia Trust – a local NGO recognised worldwide for its orthotic and prosthetic device manufacturing and training centres, providing critical services to the Kingdom’s amputees.

“The patron’s position is also in acknowledgement of Mr Joffe’s support to the CNVLD through his planned upcoming feature film with the working title The Playing Fields about the remarkable sporting endeavours of the CNVLD since its establishment in 1996,” CNVLD Secretary General Christopher Minko said in press release.

Though details about the production of this movie are yet to be made known, industry watchers expect filming to commence in Cambodia sometime next year.

Joffe will join Bun Rany, the wife of Prime Minister Hun Sen, and WOVD President Dr Hossam Eldin Mostafa as dignitaries at the opening ceremony of the event.