Johnnie To is a Hong Kong filmmaker. He has contributed to many projects, as a producer, director or a combination of the two. He made his directorial debut in 1980, when he directed The Enigmatic Case, a film starring Damian Lau.
In 1996, To began producing and directing films under his independent production company Milkyway Image, a company that he co-founded with frequent collaborator Wai Ka-fai. Commercially successful in his native Hong Kong, To's films have regularly appeared at international film festivals, most notably in Europe and North America.
To's biggest international successes include Breaking News, Election, Election 2 (a.k.a. Triad Election), Exiled, Mad Detective and Drug War; these films have been distributed theatrically in France and the United States and widely sold to foreign countries.