Justin Lin's tale will sound remarkably familiar to countless aspiring filmmakers who have paid their dues by maxing out their credit cards and spending sleepless nights starving while wondering if their projects will ever reach the screens. Dead broke and frustrated that his films had not been financially lucrative, Lin decided to take one last shot at becoming a director, literally pouring in every ounce of energy and creativity that he could muster up in order to craft a feature that would make or break his career. Fortunately for Lin, his gamble was a success and his solo debut feature, Better Luck Tomorrow (Lin had previously co-directed Shopping for Fangs with filmmaker Quentin Lee), received both critical acclaim and a distribution deal with MTV films. Since then, Lin has been cited as one of the film industry's most promising young directors.

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, and raised in Buena Park, CA, Lin had little interest in movies as a child, putting most of his energy into sports and other extracurricular activities; however, after a chance encounter with a camera, Lin was hooked. An education at UCLA School of Film and Television followed, and it wasn't long before the burgeoning talent had earned his BA and MFA in film directing. In addition to his schoolwork, Lin also found the time to join Lee…  » Read more