Presentation accompanied by European premiere of To’s Motorway.

Johnnie To is to be feted at this year’s Locarno International Film Festival (August 1 – 11) with a Career Leopard.

The festival will screen a number of the producer-director’s films, including his latest production, Media Asia and Milkyway Image’s Motorway, directed by Soi Cheang.

“We are delighted to welcome major director and producer Johnnie To to Locarno. Each of his films is a love letter to his native city, urban poems that never tire of celebrating the nocturnal settings, artificial beauty and vital buzz of Hong Kong,” said Locarno artistic director Olivier Père.

Born in Hong Kong in 1955, To began his career in television, and in 1980 co-directed his first theatrical feature The Enigmatic Case. He came to wider attention in 1989 with All About Ah-Long starring Chow Yun-Fat.

In 1996 To founded, along with Wai Ka-Fai, Milkyway Image, an independent production company that became a flagship for Hong Kong cinema.

From 2000 onwards, To found international acclaim as a director and producer on the festival circuit, with films including The Mission, PTU, Breaking News and Election.