Creative sparks flew when Alan Mak collaborated with Andrew Lau. Both are directors with a visual flair, and their co-directing project, Infernal Affairs (2002), walked away at the Hong Kong Film Awards with seven major prizes.

Alan Mak was born in Hong Kong in 1965. He studied performance at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and entered the film industry upon graduation in 1990. He started as an assistant director, working on the projects of some of the most talented filmmakers of Hong Kong, such as the Tsui Hark produced The Wicked City (1992), Johnnie To's The Bare-Footed Kid (1993), Joe Ma's Feel 100% (1996) and Benny Chan's Gen-X Cops (1999). 

He made his directorial debut in 1998, with the Joe Ma produced Nude Fear. Seeking diversification in his career, he served as executive producer for Dance of a Dream (2001), thus starting his collaboration with Andrew Lau, which eventually led to their co-direction of Infernal Affairs, on which Lau was mostly responsible for photography-related duties and other production issues while Mak concentrated on working with actors.

Mak's directorial efforts include Rave Fever (1999), A War Named Desire (2000), Final Romance (2001) and Stolen Love (2001).  He had also collaborated with scriptwriter Felix Chong on the scripts for A War Named Desire and Infernal Affairs as well as the latter film's two upcoming sequels.

Awards Won

Infernal Affairs

The 22nd Hong Kong Film Awards - Best Director

The 22nd Hong Kong Film Awards - Best Screenplay

(hkfilmart November 21, 2005)