Alan Mak(I)
- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Alan Mak Siu Fai was born in Hong Kong in 1965. In 1986, he studied in
the School of Drama at the Hong Kong Academy for Performance Arts. Upon
graduation in 1990, he started his movie career.
Mak made his directorial debut in 1997, with his first film being Nude
Fear, which was written and produced by Joe Ma.
After that, Mak had directed more films such as Rave Fever (1999), A
War Named Desire (2000), Final Romance (2001), and Stolen Love (2001),
which would be his first collaboration with writer
Felix Chong.
In 2002, Mak and Chong wrote their first script together. It was for
the movie Infernal Affairs, which was produced by Mak's directing
partner Andrew Lau (Andrew Lau), who
also served as cinematographer. Lau and Mak also served as directors
for the film, and it would be the first of many collaborations
involving the directing duo.
The film starred the four top actors of its
year--Andy Lau,
Tony Leung Chiu-wai,
Eric Tsang and
Anthony Chau-Sang Wong--along
with the year's two top
actresses--Kelly Chen and
Sammi Cheng.
Infernal Affairs was the number one box-office hit in Hong Kong that
year, breaking several box office records alone. Furthermore, the film
won many Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Picture, Best Directors
(Lau and Mak), Best Screenplay (Mak and co-writer Chong), and Best
Supporting Actor (Wong). Infernal Affairs also went on win awards at
the 40th Golden Horse Awards and the Golden Bauhinia Awards.
Not only was the film successful worldwide, but it later became the
inspiration for Martin Scorsese's 2006
film, The Departed (2006).
In 2003, Lau and Mak had completed the trilogy with the prequel
Infernal Affairs II and the sequel/prequel Infernal Affairs III. That
same year, Mak received the '2003 Leader of the Year' award in the
Sports/Culture/Entertainment category. This honor has made Mak's
accomplishment scale new heights.
In 2004, Lau and Mak worked on another blockbuster, Initial D, which
was shot in Japan and released in Hong Kong during the summer. Once
again, it was also another successful film for Lau and Mak, winning
multiple awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, winning for Best New
Performer (Jay Chou), Best Supporting Actor
(Anthony Chau-Sang Wong), and
Best Visual Effects.
In 2006, Lau, Mak and scriptwriter
Felix Chong re-teamed to make the 2005 film,
Moonlight in Tokyo. They re-teamed again for the 2006 film Confessions
of Pain, once again re-teaming with Infernal Affairs star
Tony Leung Chiu-wai.
To this day, along with his partners,
Andrew Lau, and
Felix Chong, Alan Mak, as a prolific
director, continues to make films, that will continue to challenge and
appeal a mass audience.
the School of Drama at the Hong Kong Academy for Performance Arts. Upon
graduation in 1990, he started his movie career.
Mak made his directorial debut in 1997, with his first film being Nude
Fear, which was written and produced by Joe Ma.
After that, Mak had directed more films such as Rave Fever (1999), A
War Named Desire (2000), Final Romance (2001), and Stolen Love (2001),
which would be his first collaboration with writer
Felix Chong.
In 2002, Mak and Chong wrote their first script together. It was for
the movie Infernal Affairs, which was produced by Mak's directing
partner Andrew Lau (Andrew Lau), who
also served as cinematographer. Lau and Mak also served as directors
for the film, and it would be the first of many collaborations
involving the directing duo.
The film starred the four top actors of its
year--Andy Lau,
Tony Leung Chiu-wai,
Eric Tsang and
Anthony Chau-Sang Wong--along
with the year's two top
actresses--Kelly Chen and
Sammi Cheng.
Infernal Affairs was the number one box-office hit in Hong Kong that
year, breaking several box office records alone. Furthermore, the film
won many Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Picture, Best Directors
(Lau and Mak), Best Screenplay (Mak and co-writer Chong), and Best
Supporting Actor (Wong). Infernal Affairs also went on win awards at
the 40th Golden Horse Awards and the Golden Bauhinia Awards.
Not only was the film successful worldwide, but it later became the
inspiration for Martin Scorsese's 2006
film, The Departed (2006).
In 2003, Lau and Mak had completed the trilogy with the prequel
Infernal Affairs II and the sequel/prequel Infernal Affairs III. That
same year, Mak received the '2003 Leader of the Year' award in the
Sports/Culture/Entertainment category. This honor has made Mak's
accomplishment scale new heights.
In 2004, Lau and Mak worked on another blockbuster, Initial D, which
was shot in Japan and released in Hong Kong during the summer. Once
again, it was also another successful film for Lau and Mak, winning
multiple awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, winning for Best New
Performer (Jay Chou), Best Supporting Actor
(Anthony Chau-Sang Wong), and
Best Visual Effects.
In 2006, Lau, Mak and scriptwriter
Felix Chong re-teamed to make the 2005 film,
Moonlight in Tokyo. They re-teamed again for the 2006 film Confessions
of Pain, once again re-teaming with Infernal Affairs star
Tony Leung Chiu-wai.
To this day, along with his partners,
Andrew Lau, and
Felix Chong, Alan Mak, as a prolific
director, continues to make films, that will continue to challenge and
appeal a mass audience.