Director Justin Lin discusses Star Trek Beyond: An Asian American Committee Event

August 1, 2016

A DGA Q&A in Los Angeles

Continuing to "go were no one has gone before," the intrepid crew of the Federation starship Enterprise encounters new dangers at the edge of the galaxy in Director Justin Lin’s new sci-fi epic, Star Trek Beyond.

Lin’s latest feature finds Kirk, Spock and the rest of the Enterprise crew halfway into their five-year mission of exploring uncharted space and questioning their life decisions. An encounter with an alien leads to a rescue mission that ends in disaster when they are attacked by hostile forces and have to abandon ship. Split into disparate groups and stranded on an unknown planet with no apparent means of rescue or communicating with home, they must find a way to deal with a new ruthless enemy that threatens the very core of the Federation.

On July 31 in Los Angeles, the DGA’s Asian American Committee hosted a special screening of Star Trek Beyond followed by a Q&A with Director Justin Lin. Following an introduction by Asian American Committee Co-Chair Steven J. Kung, Lin sat down for a conversation about the making of the film moderated by Director Joe Russo (Captain America: Civil War). Lin also participated in a Q&A in London on July 11, hosted by the London Coordinating Committee and moderated by Director James Kent (Testament of Youth).

In 2002 Justin Lin made his feature directorial debut with Better Luck Tomorrow, which was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. In addition to Star Trek Beyond, Lin’s other works include the features Annapolis, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Finishing the Game, Fast & Furious 6; the documentary Crossover; the pilot for the series Scorpion; and episodes of Community and True Detective. He has been a DGA member since 2004.

About the Asian American Committee:

The Asian American Committee (AAC) was created as a networking group to provide a forum for interests and issues that concern Asian-American Guild members. Through outreach efforts in the entertainment industry that emphasize career development and skills enhancement, the committee provides a variety of networking opportunities as well as screenings, seminars and discussions with industry professionals. The current AAC Co-Chairs are Kevin Berlandi, Ron Dempsey and Steven J. Kung.

For more information about the AAC, click here to visit their webpage.

Pictures & Video

Event photos by Shane Karns - print courtesy of Paramount Pictures

View slideshow

FULL TALK (31:27): Director Justin Lin talks about his new film, Star Trek Beyond, with Director Joe Russo.

HIGHLIGHT: Lin considers how his love of Star Trek and all its characters from a young age informed his approach to directing the story by placing more emphasis on the ensemble as a whole instead of primarily James T. Kirk and Spock.

HIGHLIGHT: Lin talks about how the indie world still influences his approach to filmmaking through the importance of working with people in all phases of production who love what they do.

HIGHLIGHT: Director Justin Lin talks about the choice of destroying the Starship Enterprise in the first act as a way of deconstructing the utopian narrative of the Star Trek series.

Director Justin Lin speaks about the making of Star Trek Beyond following the DGA membership screening in Los Angeles hosted by the Asian American Committee.

Director Justin Lin speaks about the making of Star Trek Beyond with Director Joe Russo (moderator) following a DGA membership screening in Los Angeles.

Director Joe Russo (moderator) asks Justin Lin a question about the making of Star Trek Beyond following the DGA membership screening in Los Angeles hosted by the Asian American Committee.

DGA members and guests fill the Los Angeles Theater to hear Directors Justin Lin and Joe Russo (moderator) discuss the making of Star Trek Beyond following the screening hosted by the Asian American Committee.

Directors Justin Lin and Joe Russo (moderator) pose for a photo following the DGA membership screening of Lin’s Star Trek Beyond in Los Angeles.

Asian American Committee Co-Chairs Steven J. Kung and Ron Dempsey pose for a photo during the Los Angeles reception for Director Justin Lin’s Star Trek Beyond.