Biography
Johnnie To Kei-Fung (Chinese: 杜琪峯, born 22 April 1955) 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 in the West he is best known for his action and crime movies, which have earned him critical respect and a cult following. His films, often made in collaboration with the same group of actors, screenwriters and cinematographers, frequently explore themes of fri...
Known For
Complete Filmography

Mad Fate
2023
Producer, Executive Producer
A fortune teller fails to help a prostitute who is facing a deadly calamity. When he meets a young boss of a tea restaurant, he predicts that his bloo...

Septet: The Story of Hong Kong
2022
Director, Producer, Writer
A seven-part anthology film exploring the history of Hong Kong from the 1940s to present day.

Chasing Dream
2019
Producer, Director
A young man and woman meet each other and forge a special connection due to violent circumstances and debt issues. He is a prize fighter who wants to ...

A or B
2018
Producer
A young business elite, Zhong, was imprisoned in a house! Everyday, a mysterious man will reveal one of his darkest secrets to the world. At the same ...

In the Mood for Melville
2017
as Self
Various directors and film critics discuss Jean-Pierre Melville’s importance and influence in the world of cinema.

Three
2016
as Wong Superintendent (voice)
Realising that he will be defeated in no time during a police showdown, a thug shoots himself to force the cops to cease fire and take him to the hosp...

Three
2016
Producer, Director
Realising that he will be defeated in no time during a police showdown, a thug shoots himself to force the cops to cease fire and take him to the hosp...

The Weaving of a Dream: Johnnie To's Vision and Craft
2016
as Self
From the ambitious young filmmaker behind Boundless, The Weaving of a Dream is a short documentary that details the making of Johnnie To's film Three.

Trivisa
2016
Producer
Hong Kong's three notorious thieves who have never met one another before appear in the same restaurant. This leads to a rumour that they are joining ...

Office
2015
Director, Producer
Two assistants, Lee Xiang and Kat, start new jobs at the financial firm Jones & Sunn. Lee Xiang is an earnest young man who naively enters the world o...

Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2
2014
Director, Producer
Two former lovers find themselves irresistibly drawn back together — despite the fact that each of them is engaged to someone else.

Boundless
2013
as Self
As Hong Kong's foremost filmmaker, Johnnie To himself becomes the protagonist of this painstaking documentary exploring him and his Boundless world of...

Blind Detective
2013
Director, Producer
A brilliant detective is forced into early retirement after losing eyesight. Making ends meet by solving cold cases for reward money, he teams up with...

A Complicated Story
2013
Executive Producer
Needing money for her brother’s medical treatment, Liu Yazi agrees to become a surrogate mother for a mysterious benefactor. But when the contract is ...

Drug War
2012
Director, Producer
A drug cartel boss is arrested in a raid and coerced into betraying his former accomplices as part of an undercover operation.

Motorway
2012
Producer
Two police pursuit drivers, a hothead rookie and his long-suffering, almost-retired mentor, face off against an escape car driver from the latter's pa...

Romancing in Thin Air
2012
Director
After his new bride dumps him at their wedding reception, a heartbroken actor winds up in the mountains, where he meets and falls in love with a widow...

Life Without Principle
2011
Director, Producer
A criminal, a bank clerk and a police officer find their destinies entwined when a loan shark gets assaulted after having withdrawn $10 million from t...

Punished
2011
Producer
Real estate tycoon Wong Ho-Chiu (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang) suffers great pain when his daughter Daisy (Janice Man) is kidnapped and killed. Wong Ho-Chiu...

Don't Go Breaking My Heart
2011
Producer, Director
A typical story of the classic romantic triangle, where one person ends up having to choose between two others. This time, it is set against a backdro...

Johnnie Got His Gun!
2010
as Himself
Johnnie got his gun is a mix of interview snippets with To, these are taken from various sources and are cobbled together with clips from including Br...

Code Name: Melville
2010
as Self
Mixing interviews, rare archival footage and film extracts, the film shows how Melville's works were impacted by what he experienced in his youth duri...

Accident
2009
Producer
A self-styled accident choreographer, the Brain is a professional hitman who kills his victims by trapping them in well crafted accidents that look li...

Tactical Unit - Partners
2009
Producer
Rumor has it that “Black Moly”, the Indian head of a gang has returned. His former subordinate Velu is released from prison, he refuses to follow the ...

Vengeance
2009
Director, Producer
A French chef swears revenge after a violent attack on his daughter's family in Macau, during which her husband and her two children are murdered. To ...

Newsmakers
2009
Original Film Writer
A gang of crooks robbing cash collectors, run into a police surveillance team and the inadequate police response results in a gunfight. A TV crew on a...

Tactical Unit: Comrades in Arms
2009
Producer
Two tactical unit leaders are forced to put aside their differences to help catch a group of robbers.

Tactical Unit - Human Nature
2008
Producer
CID officer Tong gets himself entangled with a gang of killers from mainland China, who are out killing criminals to rob them of their money, and usi...

Sparrow
2008
Director, Producer
Kei is the experienced leader of a team of pickpockets — also known as "Sparrows" in HK slang. He enjoys a carefree lifestyle taking photos. One day a...

Tactical Unit - No Way Out
2008
Producer
After a late-night triad dispute leads to the death of an innocent civilian, PTU officers take action by investigating triad activities in the area.

Tactical Unit - The Code
2008
Producer
Tensions flare between PTU officers and the Complaints Against Police Officers unit when a security camera captures a triad member being brutalized by...

Linger
2008
Director, Producer
A woman is revisited by the ghost of her ex-boyfriend, three years after a car crash took his life.

Mad Detective
2007
Director, Producer
Bun, a schizophrenic, former police inspector comes out of retirement to help a rookie detective solve a complex murder case involving a missing colle...

Triangle
2007
Executive Producer, Producer, Director
Life has not been kind to drinking buddies Sam, Fai, and Mok as they struggle to make ends meet, until one stormy evening a mysterious old man appears...

Hooked on You
2007
Producer
Hong Kong actress and pop star Miriam Yeung stars as an eligible bachelorette who reluctantly takes a job as a fishmonger to pay off her father's debt...

Eye in the Sky
2007
Producer
The head of an elite Hong Kong surveillance unit keeps one eye on his rookie apprentice and the other on a notorious criminal he suspects of mastermin...

Exiled
2006
Director
A friendship is formed between an ex-gangster, and two groups of hitmen - those who want to protect him and those who were sent to kill him.

Triad Election
2006
Director, Producer
As election time nears, current Triad chairman Lok faces competition from his godsons. At the same time, Jimmy looks to increase his business relation...

2 Become 1
2006
Producer
Bingo leads a carefree city life that revolves around work, friends and dating. Her yuppie life is turned upside down one passionate night when her ho...

Election
2005
Director, Producer
After losing an election to become chairman of the Wo Lin Shing triad, a gang leader lashes out and tries to seize the dragon-head baton, the official...

The Open Road
2005
Director
An inspirational short film by Johnnie To.

Katanas, yakuzas y cintas de video
2004
as (archive footage)

Yesterday Once More
2004
Director, Producer
Mr. and Mrs. To are wealthy, creative jewel thieves who divorce for no apparent reason after a successful diamond heist. A year later, she's engaged t...

Throw Down
2004
Director, Producer
A former Judo champion is given the chance to redeem himself after he befriends a competitor and an aspiring singer.

Breaking News
2004
Director, Producer
After a disastrous failure to stop a robber gang, the police attempt to redeem themselves through a series of publicity stunts and shootouts.

Running on Karma
2003
Director, Producer
A monk turned body-builder, with the gift to see into people's lives, befriends a female cop, and uses his gift to change the force of Karma and her d...

Memory of the Youth
2003
Producer
Fang, a lively and lovely girl from Qingdao, finds a violet which belongs to a little gentleman Yao. A true friendship starts to develop between them ...

Turn Left, Turn Right
2003
Director, Producer
An aspiring violinist and a professional translator live parallel lives and appear to be perfect for each other, but somehow fate seems to keep them a...

1:99 Shorts
2003
Director
Shorts made by 11 directors in order to fight against the SARS epidemy that occurred in China and Hong Kong in 2003. The shorts were produced by the I...

PTU
2003
Director, Producer
Follows a police tactical unit during one dangerous night on the streets of Hong Kong as they try to recover a cop's stolen gun. Things turn deadly wh...

Looking for Mr. Perfect
2003
Producer
A policewoman has always had the worst luck in love. On a trip to Malaysia, she finally meets the man of her dreams. However, her Perfect Man might no...

Love for All Seasons
2003
Director, Producer
May is a martial artist and Chinese medicine practitioner who resides in a temple in Omei mountain. Under the threat of her lovelorn master, Misery, s...

Love Under the Sun
2003
Producer
On a splendid night, as elegant individuals lose themselves in dance in a ballroom, a rumor is born that one of the guests is HIV positive. Unpreceden...

My Left Eye Sees Ghosts
2002
Director, Producer
A car accident gives a spoiled, troubled young woman the ability to see ghosts, including one of a former classmate.

Fat Choi Spirit
2002
Director, Producer
Follows the adventures of a compulsive Mahjong player named Andy and his aging mother, estranged brother, loyal ex-girlfriend, and a local gang.

Second Time Around
2002
Producer
A young man goes to Las Vegas with his best friend to prove he can win big bucks. When he loses all of the money, he and his friend get help from a yo...

Running Out of Time 2
2001
Producer, Director
Ho Sheung Sang finds himself wrapped up in another cat-and-mouse game, this time against a tricky magician.

Grit & Polish: Heroines from Hong Kong
2001
as Self
Female characters in martial arts films from Hong Kong: the women who played them and the directors who wrote the scenarios and directed the films.

Fulltime Killer
2001
Director, Producer
Professional assassin O has resided in an isolated world of killing and loneliness. But his life begins to change once he meets the innocent Chin; hir...

Love on a Diet
2001
Director, Producer
A depressed, obese woman tries to lose weight in order to win back her ex-boyfriend with the help of a fellow Hong Konger whom she met in Japan.

Gimme Gimme
2001
Producer
Lobo and Skid are very close friends. They study in the same class and often play in a band and play skateboards with their classmates. Soda, one of t...

Wu Yen
2001
Producer, Director
Lost in the woods, the Emperor Qi stumbles across local chief Wu Yen, his predestined bride, only to accidentally free a promiscuous fox fairy who pro...

Hong Kong Superstars
2001
as Self
Hong Kong Superstars is a documentary

Comeuppance
2000
Producer
Michael is a cop chasing uncommon serial killer Sung Ping, who one day kills off a scummy triad on almost a whim. Liking the aftermath, he proceeds to...

Help!!!
2000
Director, Producer
A trio of idealistic young doctors take on a corrupt, ineffective hospital management more interested in saving dollars than lives. Sub-plots crop up ...

Needing You...
2000
Director, Producer
Wah and Kinki both work at a computer company. Despite not getting on too well initially, their friendship develops into romance when they get to know...

Spacked Out
2000
Producer
In the god-forsaken satellite city of Tuen Mun, 13-year-old Cookie suspects she's pregnant. Lately things have not been going her way. Her mother left...

The Mission
1999
Director, Producer
Triad boss Lung, who has just escaped being killed in an assassination attempt hires the killers Curtis, James, Mike, Roy and Shin for his protection.

Sealed with a Kiss
1999
Producer
Hong Kong filmmaker Derek Chiu directs this quiet romance that recalls the gentle style of Francois Truffaut. Young and attractive Mandy (Yo Yo Mung) ...

Running Out of Time
1999
Producer, Director
Police inspector and excellent hostage negotiator Ho Sheung-Sang finds himself in over his head when he is pulled into a 72 hour game by a cancer suff...

Where a Good Man Goes
1999
Director, Producer
Fresh from a prison term, a former Triad boss resides in a hotel in Macau, where he befriends its owner and her young son.

A Hero Never Dies
1998
Director, Producer
Jack and Martin are gunmen who work for two rival kingpins. Jack and Martin have been fighting on their bosses behalf for close to a year. When a truc...

Expect the Unexpected
1998
In this "cops and robbers" film, a raid on a jewelry store staged by a band of amateur hold-up artists goes horribly wrong, leading to a shoot-out. Th...

Expect the Unexpected
1998
Producer
In this "cops and robbers" film, a raid on a jewelry store staged by a band of amateur hold-up artists goes horribly wrong, leading to a shoot-out. Th...

The Longest Nite
1998
Producer, Director
Caught in the middle of a fierce gang war in Macau, a corrupt cop named Sam handles negotiations between two Triad leaders who plan to join forces. He...

Intruder
1997
Producer
A mainland Chinese girl is, with her husband, a wanted criminal and they have to get to Hong Kong in order to stay alive and be free.

The Odd One Dies
1997
Producer
A failure of a Triad who is desperate for money decides to accept an assassination mission. With his advance in money he decides to risk it in gamblin...

Too Many Ways to Be No. 1
1997
Producer
A small-time triad must make a fateful decision to discover who he is. With that decision, his life can diverge in two paths, each leading to an ultim...

Final Justice
1997
Producer
Father Lee (Sean Lau) is young and unconventional. He fell into temptation and was sued by Donna (Almen Wong), who accuses him of rape. Lee faces a la...

Lifeline
1997
Director
A heroic but cocky firefighter pays no regard to the dangers of the job but lacks the courage to face his personal demons. When faced with a giant and...

Beyond Hypothermia
1996
Producer
A mysterious and highly successful hitwoman in Hong Kong is paid to assassinate top-level crime bosses. After beginning a relationship with a noodle v...

A Moment of Romance III
1996
Director, Producer
Lau Tin Wai is a fighter pilot in the Chinese airforce who is forced to ditch in a field; he is taken in by the remote community of farmers who nurse ...

Only Fools Fall in Love
1995
Producer
Poor girl meets rich boy as they quarrel over a food seller's once a year delicacy. His brother pays her to marry the brother so he can stage an assa...

Loving You
1995
Director
A man re-evaluates his life after being given a second chance. When seedy cop Liu Chen-hai is shot, he is forced to do some soul-searching about his o...

Dead End
1995
Producer, Director
Wong Tat Lung was hunted down by the triads in Hong Kong twenty years ago and became a resident of the black market in Toronto, where he stayed for tw...

Fatal Assignment
1995
Producer

The Lone Sabre
1994
Producer
In the late Qing Dynasty, the policeman Wang Wu (played by Zheng Haonan) was dedicated to arresting imperial criminals for the court. He was called th...

Heroic Trio 2: Executioners
1993
Producer, Director
The city has been devastated by a nuclear attack. An evil deformed villain controls the city's scarce water supply, exerting influence over a popular ...

The Mad Monk
1993
Director
The gods in heaven complain to the Jade Emperor about the malicious practical jokes played on them by Dragon Fighter Lohan.

A Moment of Romance II
1993
Producer
A street racer encounters a mainland courtesan under an extraordinary circumstances. A moment of Romance between them follows after.

The Bare-Footed Kid
1993
Director
A poor barefoot young man from the country arrives in the city to start work with the friend of his dead father.

Edge of Justice
1993
Producer
In British-ruled Hong Kong, a powerful British prosecutor attempts rape, leading to the victim’s death. Maggie Chan, the lawyer seeking justice, faces...

The Heroic Trio
1993
Director
While one tough woman with an invisible robe has stolen 18 babies for her powerful master, two other tough women and the cops try to stop her.

Iron Butterfly III: Tomorrow
1992
Story, Producer, Director
Tomorrow is a Hong Kong made-for-TV movie starring Tony Leung Chiu-Wai

Justice, My Foot!
1992
Director
An unscrupulous lawyer with an equally eccentric kung-fu sidekick wife tries to bring justice to the court.

Lucky Encounter
1992
Director
Two inventors encounter a friendly little ghost, and stumble onto a plot to capture the ghost's uncle who was responsible for his untimely death. Howe...

Sisters of the World Unite
1991
Two sisters seek diversion after repeat disappointments with men.

The Banquet
1991
Developer Tsang Siu Chi and his agent have bought two of a group of four properties. Rival developer, Boss Hung has secured the other two properties. ...

Casino Raiders II
1991
Director
Chicken Feet assists in running an honorable gambling den owned by the crippled Uncle Fan and his son Kit. Having previously tried to shut down the ga...

The Royal Scoundrel
1991
as Taxi Driver
Beach Boy is a maverick cop whose unorthodox and incompetent ways are frowned upon by his uptight superiors. His inept partner Mr. Chow isn't much hel...

The Royal Scoundrel
1991
Director
Beach Boy is a maverick cop whose unorthodox and incompetent ways are frowned upon by his uptight superiors. His inept partner Mr. Chow isn't much hel...

The Story of My Son
1990
Director, Writer
Li Tzu-Liang is returning to Hong Kong with the ashes of his wife. He now has to bring up his two sons on his own. Though he is quite well-off, he his...

The Iron Butterfly II
1990
A Hong Kong homicide detective insists on the same name that his father, Rock Moon, has died and carved it deeply into his heart. In this case her mot...

The Iron Butterfly II
1990
Screenplay, Director
A Hong Kong homicide detective insists on the same name that his father, Rock Moon, has died and carved it deeply into his heart. In this case her mot...

A Moment of Romance
1990
Producer
After a young Triad member takes an upper-class girl hostage during his escape from a jewelry heist, the two find themselves falling in love, in spite...

The Fun, the Luck & the Tycoon
1990
Director
Lam Bo Sun, the richest man in Hong Kong, is expected to marry the ditziest of socialites in a matter of weeks. On a whim, he leaves everything behind...

Behind Bars
1990
Director, Producer
A man serving a sentence for a white-collar crime navigates the thorny realities of prison life.

Story of Nam
1989
Producer, Director
Nam was originally a Vietnamese soldier, yet because he hated the cruelty of war, he fled to Hong Kong and was placed in a refugee camp. Anan reunites...

The Iron Butterfly
1989
Director, Producer
The police feel the case is serious, then send Shan, Hui even hand investigation, two at first did not and, as understanding deepens, emotional surge;...

All About Ah-Long
1989
Director
Ah-Long, a father living a low-class lifestyle, while trying to raise his son, Porky. The strong bond between father and son is tested when a chance e...

The Big Heat
1988
Director
A cop is losing the control of his right hand and cannot pull the trigger on time anymore. Before any accident happens, he decides to resign. Meanwhil...

The Eighth Happiness
1988
Director
Three oddball brothers go looking for love but unfortunately, their out-there personalities get in the way!

It's No Heaven
1988
as Club Patron
Lung’s wife was raped and murdered, and the killer escaped justice. Consumed by grief and rage, Lung killed him and fled to Hong Kong, only to fall in...

It's No Heaven
1988
Director
Lung’s wife was raped and murdered, and the killer escaped justice. Consumed by grief and rage, Lung killed him and fled to Hong Kong, only to fall in...

The Betrayal
1988
Director
The film tells the story of Chen Baili's father, the director of the Shanghai Police Department, who was bizarrely murdered for investigating the thef...

Magnificent Warriors
1987
Assistant Director
A daredevil airplane pilot and spy, who fights against the occupying Japanese forces in China, must rescue the ruler of the city of Kaal from the han...

Seven Years Itch
1987
Director
An introverted businessman who doesn't get out much, Willie Ng recently celebrated his seventh anniversary, but his marriage seems to be hitting a slu...

Happy Ghost III
1986
Director
A young, unsuccessful singer, after committing suicide, is to be reincarnated, this time into a musical family. Her spirit must get to the hospital wh...

Royal Warriors
1986
Assistant Director
When a tough policewoman learns about a group of violent terrorists, she, along with her partner and a Japanese detective, does everything it takes to...

It's a Drink! It's a Bomb!
1985
Assistant Director
An illegal dealing of a soda-canned bomb between a crooked Hong Kong cop and two Japanese traffickers goes bad after an associate decides to go agains...

The Enigmatic Case
1980
Director
An imprisoned swordsman is accused of killing three men. He probably would have already been executed for his crimes but is kept alive because he know...

The Good, the Bad and the Beauties
1978
Assistant Director
In the Qing Dynasty
N/A
Producer
Explores the turbulence amongst scholars, bandits and local officials following the abolition of the imperial examination system at the end of the Qin...
Untitled Johnnie To Gangster Film
N/A
Director
Revolves around the conflict of Hong Kong gangs in Japan.