Albert Mak Kai-kwong was born in Hong Kong in 1965 to a firefighter father and a homemaker mother, and works as a film director, assistant director and screenwriter. He had no particular interest in cinema as a boy and, unable to find suitable work, entered the industry in 1989 as a continuity assistant on a friend's introduction, later becoming an assistant director. Through the 1990s he worked on a long list of features as an assistant director and made a cameo appearance in a 1997 romantic comedy, building solid on-set experience. In June 2000 his first film as director, a horror picture, opened in Hong Kong, followed in October by a comedy starring Nick Cheung, and two more of his films opened the next year. He then served as assistant director on several commercial hits and produced a 2005 film, while in the 2007 crime epic 'Protege' he both acted and assistant-directed. In October 2010 he wrote and directed another feature, and the 2012 film he assistant-directed, Johnnie To's 'Drug War', won and was nominated for numerous international awards. In 2024 he directed the crime comedy 'Rob N Roll', starring Aaron Kwok, Gordon Lam, Richie Jen and Maggie Cheung Ho-yee, which was well received by critics and audiences; for it he shared Best Screenplay at the 31st Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards with Chen Weibin and Wan Yuen-ching, his first such honour after more than three decades in the business.
Mak rose from continuity assistant and assistant director, building experience over the years in Johnnie To's teams and becoming a dependable behind-the-scenes craftsman in Hong Kong cinema. His 2024 film 'Rob N Roll' blended black humour with a heist story, bringing him his first screenwriting award after more than three decades in the industry and renewed attention in mid-career.
Achievements
- 1989 · Entered the film industry as a continuity assistant in 1989 and later became an assistant director.
- 2000 · His first film as director, a horror picture, opened in Hong Kong in June 2000.
- 2025 · Won Best Screenplay at the 31st Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards in 2025 for Rob N Roll.