Justin Lin

Early life and education

Lin was born on October 11, 1971, in Taipei, Taiwan. He immigrated with his family to the United States at the age of eight and grew up in Buena Park, California. He graduated from nearby Cypress High School. Lin earned the rank of Eagle Scout in March 1989 while a member of Boy Scout Troop 670.


Early life and education

Lin attended the University of California, San Diego, for two years before transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He received a Bachelor of Arts with a major in film and television and a Master of Fine Arts in film directing and production from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. He was given a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017.


1997–2005: Better Luck Tomorrow, Annapolis

Lin's first feature film was Shopping for Fangs (1997), which he co-directed with fellow UCLA Film School alumnus Quentin Lee when they were still at UCLA. The film stars John Cho and is considered to be a "cult classic" among independent Asian American films.

WikTok | Your Personalised Encyclopedia

Train your feed. Demystify any topic with AI. Read with friends.

Follow what fascinates you, crack open any topic with AI, save favourites, share great finds, and level up as you go.

Swipe left and right to improve your feed!