Johnnie To
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| Johnnie To | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | April 22, 1955 Hong Kong |
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Johnnie To Kei-Fung (traditional Chinese: 杜琪峯; simplified Chinese: 杜琪峰; pinyin: Dù Qífēng), born April 22, 1955 is a Hong Kong film director and producer. He is a filmmaker who has a local fan base, as well as international recognition.
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[edit] 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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Film Themes
Although he has directed extremely popular comedies and romantic comedies like Justice, My Foot!, Needing You... and Love on a Diet, his more serious works are mostly about masculinity and male bonding (The Mission, and Running Out of Time), or simply about guns (again, The Mission). Another theme is fate and the concept that our lives may not be under our control (PTU, Expect the Unexpected and Running on Karma).
[edit] 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 Exiled was shown in Competition at the Venice Film Festival in 2006. Four of his movies were featured in the Cannes Film Festival: Breaking News in the Out-of-Competition midnight screening in 2004, and Election in Competition in 2005 and his most recent Triangle. Election 2 (aka Triad Election) 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. The Mission, Fulltime Killer, PTU, Breaking News, Throw Down and Mad Detective all screened between 1999 and 2007. In 2006, Election, Election 2 (aka Triad Election) , 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 (aka Triad Election) and Exiled were released in the US theatrically. To was also honoured as a "Filmmaker in Focus" of 2007 Rotterdam Film Festival.
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Director
- The Enigmatic Case (1980)
- Happy Ghost III (1986)
- Seven Years Itch (1987)
- The Big Heat (1988) (co-directed with Andrew Kam)
- The Eighth Happiness (1988)
- All About Ah-Long (1989)
- The Fun, the Luck & the Tycoon (1989)
- The Story of My Son (1990)
- Son of the Beach (film) (1991)
- Lucky Encounter (1992)
- Justice, My Foot! (1992)
- Casino Raiders II (1993)
- The Bare-Footed Kid (1993)
- Mad Monk (1993)
- The Heroic Trio (1993)
- Executioners (1993)
- Loving You (1995)
- A Moment of Romance III (1996)
- Lifeline (1997)
- A Hero Never Dies (1998)
- Running Out of Time (1999)
- Where a Good Man Goes (1999)
- The Mission (1999)
- Needing You... (2000) (co-directed with Wai Ka-Fai)
- Help!!! (2000) (co-directed with Wai Ka-Fai)
- Wu yen (2001) (co-directed with Wai Ka-Fai)
- Fulltime Killer (2001) (co-directed with Wai Ka-Fai)
- Running Out of Time 2 (2001) (co-directed with Law Wing-Cheong)
- Fat Choi Spirit (2002) (co-directed with Wai Ka-Fai)
- My Left Eye Sees Ghosts (2002) (co-directed with Wai Ka-Fai)
- Love For All Seasons (2003) (co-directed with Wai Ka-Fai)
- Turn Left, Turn Right (2003) (co-directed with Wai Ka-Fai)
- Running on Karma (2003) (co-directed with Wai Ka-Fai)
- PTU (2003)
- Breaking News (2004)
- Throw Down (2004)
- Yesterday Once More (2004)
- Election (2005)
- Election 2 (aka Triad Election) (2006)
- Exiled (2006)
- Mad Detective (2007) (co-directed with Wai Ka-Fai)
- Triangle (2007) (co-directed with Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam)
- Linger (2008)
- Sparrow (2008)
[edit] Producer
- A Moment of Romance (1990)
- A Moment of Romance II (1992)
- The Heroic Trio (1993)
- Executioners (1993)
- Only Fools Fall in Love (1995)
- A Moment of Romance III (1996)
- Beyond Hypothermia (1996)
- Final Justice (1996)
- The Odd One Dies (1997)
- Too Many Ways to Be No. 1 (1997)
- Sealed with a Kiss (1997)
- The Intruder (1997)
- Expect the Unexpected (1998)
- The Longest Nite (1998)
- A Hero Never Dies (1998)
- Running Out of Time (1999)
- Where a Good Man Goes (1999)
- The Mission (1999)
- Comeuppance (2000)
- Spacked Out (2000)
- Needing You (2000)
- Help!!! (2000)
- Wu yen (2001)
- Fulltime Killer (2001)
- Running Out of Time 2 (2001)
- Gimme Gimme (2001)
- Fat Choi Spirit (2002)
- Second Time Around (2002)
- My Left Eye Sees Ghosts (2002)
- Turn Left, Turn Right (2003) (executive producer)
- Running on Karma (2003)
- PTU (2003)
- Finding Mr. Perfect (2003)
- Breaking News (2004)
- Throw Down (2004)
- Yesterday Once More (2004)
- Election (2005)
- Election 2 (aka Triad Election) (2006)
- Exiled (2006)
- 2 Become 1 (2006)
- Hooked on You (2007)
- Eye in the Sky (2007)
- Mad Detective (2007)
- Triangle (2007)
- Linger (2008)
- Sparrow (2008)
[edit] External links
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