Karen Chia-ru Lin – Filmmaker and Music Video Producer

Los Angeles, CA

Who are you?

I am a 2nd generation Taiwanese American born in Seattle to my mother from Taipei and my father from Taoyuan. I have an amazing sister and an amazingly large “Proud to be Taiwanese” family –all 80 of us (and that’s just my immediate family!!). I love movies, good food, family and good friends.

What do you do?

I am a filmmaker who got bitten by the film bug from the moment I made my first short film “Drive By” while still in graduate school studying public policy. I have been working in Hollywood for over 15 years, and for the last 8 years as a music video / commercial producer. I continue my goal of directing projects that I feel passionate about hoping to get many of my projects and a first feature film off the ground in the coming years.

Why are you proud to be of Taiwanese heritage?

Taiwanese is just who I am. It is what makes me see and experience the world as I do. So many wonderful experiences of living bi-culturally… and really tri-culturally because of the Japanese influence. It means I am linked to the amazing family and friends that surround me who share this common experience and history. I love getting to eat delicious foods, experience hot sticky summers with giant cockroaches and typhoons, speak a language that few in the world speak, and have a huge wonderful family!!

What does the future of Taiwanese America look like to you?

I look forward to seeing what parts of our culture we will be able to pass to our children, and they to their children. It will be a colorful future… one with children of mixed races, all I hope to be proud of where they came from. People will be in all different careers our parents would never have dreamed of. It will be a future of endless possibilities and no limitations.

Any additional information you would like to share?

I love shaved ice!

My website: www.zuzufilms.com

I recently directed the “Write in Taiwanese” Census 2010 PSA video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcFLfw73O30