Johnnie To (China, Hong Kong)

With a filmmaking career spanning over 25 years with over 40 films, Johnnie To is one of today’s Hong Kong’s leading directors. Having reached commercial success in the Eighties, To turned to more personal works in the mid-Nineties following the creation of film production company Milkyway Image. In the past decade To’s stylish action film aesthetic caught on in the West. Hak se wui  (Election) was in competition for Cannes in 2005 and won To his third Best Director Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards. To’s Fangzhu  (Exiled) competed in the 63rd Venice Film Festival. The following year, Shentan  (Mad Detective) competed again in the Venice Film Festival. Since 2004, To has served as Hong Kong Art Development Council’s Film & Media Arts Chairman.