Johnnie To Kei-Fung, born April 22, 1955 is a Hong Kong film director and . He is a filmmaker who has a local fan base, as well as international recognition.
Career
An assistant TV director in the Shaw Studios era, To became famous when his 1989 film ''All About Ah-Long'', starring Chow Yun-Fat, became one of the biggest box office hits in that year.
Milkyway Image
In 1996, To and frequent collaborator Wai Ka-Fai formed Milkyway Image, a production house that specializes in cost-efficient independent films made by To and Wai, as well their frequent collaborators from Law Wing-Cheong to scriptwriter Yau Nai-Hoi.
Film Themes
Although he has directed extremely popular comedies and like ''Justice, My Foot!'', ''Needing You...'' and ''Love on a Diet'', his more serious works are mostly about masculinity and male bonding , or simply about guns . Another theme is fate and the concept that our lives may not be under our control .
Festivals and Awards
To's films have played around the international festival circuit. ''Throw Down'' was screened Out-of-Competition at the Venice Film Festival in 2004, and '''' was shown in Competition at the Venice Film Festival in 2006. Four of his movies were featured in the Cannes Film Festival: '''' in the Out-of-Competition midnight screening in 2004, and '''' in Competition in 2005 and his most recent ''''. ''Election 2'' was screened in Out-of-Competition midnight screening at Cannes Film Festival in 2006.
In North America, To's films have been consistently screened at the ''Toronto Film Festival''. '''', ''Fulltime Killer'', '''', '''', ''Throw Down'' and ''Mad Detective'' all screened between 1999 and 2007. In 2006, '''', ''Election 2'' , and ''Exiled'' were screened.
In 2005, To received the Time Machine Career Achievement Award at theFestival de Cine de Sitges, Europe's most prestigious film festival specializing in genre films.
In 2007, ''Election 2'' and ''Exiled'' were released in the theatrically. To was also honoured as a "Filmmaker in Focus" of 2007 Rotterdam Film Festival.
'''' isn't one of "Quentin Tarantino presents...", but Tarantino loved this film so much and he still helped the DVD release of this film in someway; his quote "The Best Film Of The Year" is on this film's United States DVD cover.
Filmography
Director
* ''The Enigmatic Case''
* ''Happy Ghost III''
* ''Seven Years Itch''
* ''''
* ''The Eighth Happiness''
* ''All About Ah-Long''
* ''The Fun, the Luck & the Tycoon''
* ''The Story of My Son''
* ''The Royal Scoundrel''
* ''Lucky Encounter''
* ''Justice, My Foot!''
* ''Casino Raiders II''
* ''The Bare-Footed Kid''
* ''The Mad Monk''
* ''The Heroic Trio''
* ''''
* ''Loving You''
* ''A Moment of Romance III''
* ''''
* ''A Hero Never Dies''
* ''''
* ''Where a Good Man Goes''
* ''''
* ''Needing You...''
* ''Help!!!''
* ''Wu yen''
* ''Fulltime Killer''
* ''Running Out of Time 2''
* ''Fat Choi Spirit''
* ''My Left Eye Sees Ghosts''
* ''Love For All Seasons''
* ''Turn Left, Turn Right''
* ''Running on Karma''
* ''''
* ''''
* ''Throw Down''
* ''''
* ''''
* ''Election 2''
* ''Exiled''
* ''Mad Detective''
* ''''
* ''''
* ''''
Producer
* ''A Moment of Romance''
* ''A Moment of Romance II''
* ''The Heroic Trio''
* ''Executioners''
* ''Only Fools Fall in Love''
* ''A Moment of Romance III''
* ''Beyond Hypothermia
* ''''
* ''The Odd One Dies''
* ''Too Many Ways to Be No. 1''
* ''Sealed with a Kiss''
* ''''
* ''''
* ''The Longest Nite''
* ''A Hero Never Dies''
* ''''
* ''Where a Good Man Goes''
* ''''
* ''Comeuppance''
* ''Spacked Out''
* ''Needing You''
* ''Help!!!''
* ''Wu yen''
* ''Fulltime Killer''
* ''Running Out of Time 2''
* ''Gimme Gimme''
* ''Fat Choi Spirit''
* ''Second Time Around''
* ''My Left Eye Sees Ghosts''
* ''Turn Left, Turn Right''
* ''Running on Karma''
* ''''
* ''Finding Mr. Perfect''
* ''''
* ''Throw Down''
* ''''
* ''''
* ''Election 2''
* ''Exiled''
* ''''
* ''Hooked on You''
* ''''
* ''Mad Detective''
* ''''
* ''''
* ''''
*''Tactical Unit - The Code''
