Johnnie To
Johnnie To | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Đỗ kỳ phong | |||||||||||
 To in an interview forSeptet: The Story of Hong Kongin 2022 | |||||||||||
| Born | 22 April 1955 | ||||||||||
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1972–present | ||||||||||
| Notable work | Full list | ||||||||||
| Spouse |
Wong Po-ling (m.1978) | ||||||||||
| Awards | Full list | ||||||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | Đỗ kỳ phong | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | Đỗ kỳ phong | ||||||||||
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Johnnie To Kei-fung(born 22 April 1955) is a Hong Kong filmmaker. Popular in his native Hong Kong,[1]To has also found acclaim overseas. Intensely prolific, To has made films in a variety of genres, though in the West he is best known for hisactionandcrimemovies, which have earned him critical respect[2][3]and acult following,which includes American filmmakerQuentin Tarantino.[4]
To's biggest international successes includeBreaking News,Election,Election 2(a.k.a.Triad Election),Exiled,Mad DetectiveandDrug War;these films have appeared in a number of international film festivals, been distributed theatrically in France and the United States, and been widely sold to foreign countries.
His films, often made in collaboration with the same group of actors,screenwritersand cinematographers, frequently explore themes offriendship,fateand the changing face of Hong Kong society.[5][6]Sometimes described as "multifaceted and chameleonic"[3]due to his ability to switch tones and genres between movies, To is nonetheless seen as having aconsistent style,which involves mixing subdued realism and social observation with highly stylised visual and acting elements.[5]To has citedKing Huas the director who has influenced his work the most.[7]
To heads the Hong Kong-based production companyMilkyway Imagewith his frequent co-directorWai Ka-fai.
Career
[edit]To began his career at age 17 as a messenger for the Hong Kong television studioTVB.[1]From there To moved up the ladder, working as an executive producer and director for TV shows starting in 1973. In 1978, he shot his first theatrical feature, but continued working in television. In 1983, he directed and screen-wrote the critically acclaimedThe Legend of the Condor Heroes,a dramatised TV series base onthe martial art novel of the same namebyJin Yong.
While working as an assistant TV director during theShaw Studiosera he directedAll About Ah-Long(1989), starringChow Yun-fat.The film became one of the biggest box office hits that year. In 1988, he co-directedThe Big Heat,his firstaction movie.The film was produced byTsui Hark.The end of the 1980s also saw some of To's biggest commercial successes, the vast majority of which were comedies. His 1988 filmThe Eighth Happinesswas that year's highest-grossing movie.[8]
In 1996, To and frequent collaboratorWai Ka-faiformedMilkyway Image,a production house specialising in cost-efficientindependent filmsmade by To and Wai, as well as their frequent collaborators fromLaw Wing-cheungto scriptwriterYau Nai-hoi.
To was appointed to theHong Kong Arts Development Councilin 2004 and soon after chaired its Film and Media Arts Group.[9]
In May 2011, To served as a jury member at the2011 Cannes Film Festival.[10]
His filmLife Without Principle(2011) was selected as the Hong Kong's entry forBest Foreign Language Filmat the85th Academy Awards,[11]but did not make the shortlist.[12]
In 2016, To served as the Jury President for the10th Asian Film Awards.[13]
In June 2017, To was invited to become a member of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[14]
In June 2019, To was announced as the Jury President for the56th Golden Horse Awards,but resigned his position in September.[15][16]
In February 2023, To served as a jury member at the73rd Berlin International Film Festival.[17]
Festivals and awards
[edit]Commercially successful in his native Hong Kong, To's films have regularly appeared at international festivals, most notably in Europe and North America. Six of To's films have been featured at theCannes Film Festival:Breaking Newspremiered as an Out-of-Competition midnight screening in2004;[18]Electionwas shown in Competition in2005;[19]its sequel,Election 2(a.k.a.Triad Election) was screened in Out-of-Competition midnight screenings in2006,andTrianglewas screened in Out-of-Competition midnight screenings in2007;Vengeancecompeted for the prestigiousPalme d'Orin2009;Blind Detectivewas screened in Out-of-Competition midnight screenings in2013.
At theBerlin International Film Festival,Sparrowwas shown in Competition in 2008.
At theVenice International Film Festival,Throw Downwas screened Out-of-Competition in2004;Exiledwas shown in Competition at the festival in2006;Mad Detectivewas shown in Competition in2007;Life Without Principlewas shown in Competition in2011.
In North America, To's films have been consistently screened at theToronto International Film Festival.The Mission,Fulltime Killer,PTU,Breaking News,Throw DownandMad Detectiveall screened between 1999 and 2007. In 2006,Election,Election 2,andExiledwere 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. To was also honoured as a "Filmmaker in Focus" of the 2007International Film Festival Rotterdam.In 2009, whileVengeancecompeted at Cannes, To was made an officer of theFrench Order of Arts and Lettersby the FrenchMinister of Culturein recognition of his films.[20]
The annualHong Kong International Film Festivalheld its 45th edition in April 2021 and To directed a segment of the 2020 anthology filmSeptet: The Story of Hong Kong.The other filmmakers who directed segments in the anthology areSammo Hung,Ann Hui,Patrick Tam,Tsui Hark,Yuen Woo-pingandRingo Lam.The short films were shot entirely on 35mm film, each of them touching on a nostalgic and moving story set across different time periods, with every one being an ode to the city.[21]
Filmography
[edit]Monographs
[edit]- Ingham, Michael (2009).Johnnie To Kei-Fung's PTU.Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.ISBN9789622099197.
- Teo, Stephen (2007).Director in Action: Johnnie To and the Hong Kong Action Film.Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.ISBN9789622098398.JSTORj.ctt1xwdvq.OCLC779899451.Archived fromthe originalon 21 December 2012.
- The Rise of Johnnie To – Marie Jost
References
[edit]- ^abAxmaker, Sean (19 February 2004)."Karma Chameleon: A talk with Johnnie To (Page 1)".Green Cine. Archived fromthe originalon 20 April 2013.Retrieved18 February2013.
- ^"Rotten Tomatoes Profile".Rottentomatoes.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2 January 2013.Retrieved18 February2013.
- ^ab"Senses of Cinema: The Belated Auteurism of Johnnie To".Archived fromthe originalon 30 March 2009.
- ^Taylor, Ella (18 August 2009)."Quentin Tarantino: The Inglourious Basterds Interview".Archived fromthe originalon 28 September 2013.Retrieved22 June2013.
- ^ab"Interview with Johnnie To".Cineaste. 22 April 1955. Archived fromthe originalon 1 January 2013.Retrieved18 February2013.
- ^"Review of Exiled for the Chicago Reader, by Fred Camper".Fredcamper.com. 7 September 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 15 July 2012.Retrieved18 February2013.
- ^"Johnnie To: 'I just happened to be assigned to the drama department'".FilmDoo.18 May 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 28 June 2018.Retrieved13 August2018.
- ^"Hong Kong Cinemagic: Johnnie To".Hkcinemagic.com.Archivedfrom the original on 13 May 2011.Retrieved18 February2013.
- ^"Johnnie K F To".Hong Kong Baptist University.Archivedfrom the original on 9 May 2024.Retrieved9 May2024.
- ^"THE JURY OF THE 64TH FESTIVAL DE CANNES".Festival de Cannes.5 May 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 9 May 2024.Retrieved9 May2024.
- ^"Greece picks 'Unfair World' for Oscar race".The Hollywood Reporter.21 September 2012.Archivedfrom the original on 20 March 2017.Retrieved21 September2012.
- ^Morgan, David (21 December 2012)."9 foreign films on Oscar shortlist".CBS News.Retrieved9 May2024.
- ^Shackleton, Liz (3 February 2016)."'The Assassin' leads nods for Asian Film Awards ".Screen International.Archivedfrom the original on 9 May 2024.Retrieved9 May2024.
- ^Stedman, Alex (28 June 2017)."Academy Invites Record 774 New Members".Variety.Archivedfrom the original on 24 April 2018.Retrieved9 May2024.
- ^Chu, Karen (20 September 2019)."Hong Kong Director Johnnie To Resigns as Golden Horse Awards Jury President Amid Beijing Boycott".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on 9 April 2022.Retrieved9 May2024.
- ^"Wang Toon will succeed as new Jury President".Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival(in Chinese (Taiwan)). 19 September 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 9 May 2024.Retrieved9 May2024.
- ^Goodfellow, Melanie (1 February 2023)."Berlin Jury Announced; Includes Golshifteh Farahani, Johnnie To & '12 Years A Slave', 'Babylon', 'She Said' Casting Director Francine Maisler".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on 16 February 2023.Retrieved16 February2023.
- ^"Festival de Cannes: Breaking News".festival-cannes.com.Archived fromthe originalon 10 October 2012.Retrieved5 December2009.
- ^"Festival de Cannes: Election".festival-cannes.com.Archivedfrom the original on 11 October 2012.Retrieved5 December2009.
- ^ADC congratulates Johnnie To awarded the Officer of the National Order of Arts and Letters by French Ministry of Culture / Press Releases / Information Centre / Hong Kong Arts Development CouncilArchived21 July 2011 at theWayback Machine
- ^"Must-watch Chinese film premieres at the 2021 Hong Kong International Film Festival".2 April 2021. Archived fromthe originalon 25 April 2021.Retrieved25 April2021.igafencu.com. 2021-04-07
External links
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