[2] Lin attended elementary school in Twin Cities, Minnesota, where his father was conducting his doctorate research in American literature.

[7] Originally a documentary about undocumented youths, Lin pivoted into narrative after his would-be subjects revealed too much illegal activity.

[7] After graduation, Lin returned to Taiwan, where he worked as an assistant director for filmmakers like Tsai Ming-liang, Cheng Wen-tang, and Zero Chou.

[9] His fifth feature film, Yen and Ai-Lee (2024), is a collaboration with his wife Kimi Hsia and revolves around domestic violence.

[2] Lin cites Taiwanese New Wave Cinema directors Edward Yang and Hou Hsiao-hsien as major influences, in regards to "their spirit and ideology, rather than technique and visual styles."

Specifically, Yang's A Brighter Summer Day was impactful on Lin as a teenager, who was the same age as the film's protagonist.

[8] Lin cites mangaka Mitsuru Adachi's use of empty locations within a manga frame as an influence on Winds of September''s use of cross-cutting during the graduation scene.