Johnnie To

Age: 69

Birthday: April 22, 1955

Nationality: Hong Konger

Gender: Male

Johnnie To Kei Fung is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Popular in his native Hong Kong, To has also found acclaim overseas. Intensely prolific, To has made films in a variety of genres, though he is best known for his action and crime movies, which have earned him critical respect and a cult following (which includes Quentin Tarantino.) His films, often made in collaboration with the same group of actors, screenwriters and cinematographers, frequently explore themes of friendship, fate and the changing face of Hong Kong society. Sometimes described as "multifaceted and chameleonic" due to his ability to switch tones and genres between movies, To is nonetheless seen as having a consistent style, which involves mixing subdued realism and social observation with highly stylised visual and acting elements. He is best known for Sparrow (2008), Election (2005), Election 2:Triad Election (2006), Exiled (2006), Mad Detective (2007), Breaking News (2004), PTU (2003), Fulltime Killer (2001), Heroic Trio (1993), All About Ah-Long (1989) and The Mission (1999), considered by some to be To's masterpiece and one of Hong Kong's finest examples of a crime film to have come along, at that time. To heads the Hong Kong-based production company Milkyway Image with his frequent co-director Wai Ka-Fai. (Source: Wikipedia).