BUCHAREST, Romania - A film director says Papan Chilibar, a convict who starred in the award-winning Romanian film, "When I Want to Whistle, I Whistle" has died. He was 21.

Director Florin Serban said Chilibar died at home in Bucharest on Sunday from leukemia. He was sentenced to 21 months in prison in March for breaking into a company headquarters and stealing. He served some of his sentence in hospital.

Chilibar played a supporting role of Ursu, a semi-illiterate but sensitive prisoner in the movie directed by Serban which won the Silver Bear runner-up prize at the 2010 Berlin film festival.

It depicts the tough story of a youth who panics that his mother will flee the country with his younger brother while he is in a juvenile reform center.

Serban said Chilibar was "born to be an actor."