Director, writer, and producer Justin Lin will lecture May 23 as part of Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Lin has been named one of Variety's "Top 10 Filmmakers to Watch, " and in 2003 was named the "It Auteur" on Entertainment Weekly's annual "It List" citing the 100 most creative people in the entertainment industry. Lin's lecture will take place at 7 p.m. at the Jack Baskin Engineering Auditorium. Lin will share his experiences building a path as an Asian American filmmaker in Hollywood, while staying grounded in the community. (See Currents article about his 2004 visit to campus.)
Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month commemorates the history and contributions of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders and addresses issues affecting the community. This year's theme is "Divergent Paths and Unifying Perspectives," focusing on the diversity of experiences, talents, and interests in the community. Heritage Month also recognizes the dedication of activists, leaders, and organizers who create their unique paths to strengthen the community.
The event is sponsored by Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month Committee, Asian American/Pacific Islander Resource Center, Committee on Ethnic Programming, and cosponsored by engaging education and Asian Pacific Islander Student Alliance. For more information, call (831) 459-5349 or e-mail aapirc@ucsc.edu.
Lin's solo directorial debut, the critically acclaimed Better Luck Tomorrow, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and Paramount Classics/MTV Films picked up the film and released it in 2003. Renowned film critics including Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper listed Better Luck Tomorrow as one of the top five films of the year. With the success of Better Luck Tomorrow, Lin directed his second solo feature Annapolis, and shortly after directed Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift. Lin wrote and directed his third solo feature, Finishing The Game, premiering at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
