Sunday, November 16, 2025

Screening of 2025 documentary A Chip Odyssey (造山者-世紀的賭注) with Taiwanese Association of America - Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University, November 22.


The Taiwanese Association of America - Pittsburgh will present a screening of the 2025 documentary A Chip Odyssey (造山者-世紀的賭注) on November 22. It will begin at 1:30 pm at the McConomy Auditorium - Jared L. Cohon University Center, Carnegie Mellon University, and tickets are available online.
🎉🎉🎉《售票開始》【造山者-世紀的賭注】北美電影展 - 匹茲堡場:今天正式啟售‼️
《A Chip Odyssey》Movie tickets are now available!
🎫 EventBrite購票:
🎫 一般票|General Admission: $15; 學生票|Student: $10
受到熱切迴響與期待的【造山者-世紀的賭注】北美電影巡迴 - 11/22匹茲堡場的售票系統已啟動!趕緊來把你的票訂下來!
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📅 11/22/2025 (六) 1:30 PM
📍 McConomy Auditorium - Jared L. Cohon University Center, Carnegie Mellon University
📋 2025 | 紀錄片 | 106 分鐘 | 導演 蕭菊貞 | 中英字幕 English subtitled
🎥 電影預告 Trailer:
🏫 主辦:匹茲堡台灣同鄉會
🏫 協辦:匹茲堡台灣學人學生會 匹茲堡地區台灣大學校友會
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About《A Chip Odyssey》
2025 | Documentary | Taiwan | 106 mins | English Subtitles
A Chip Odyssey features interviews with over 80 key figures who witnessed and shaped the development of the semiconductor industry This feature-length documentary chronicles how Taiwan built this industry from scratch and transformed it into a global technological force, capturing a vital and transformative chapter in the island’s modern history.
In 2019, director Hsiao Chu-Chen was deeply moved by stories shared at the memorial of semiconductor pioneer Hu Ding-Hwa—accounts of engineers who, driven by a sense of national mission, journeyed overseas to acquire the crucial knowledge that ignited Taiwan’s chip industry. Their spirit of sacrifice and collective resolve not only laid the foundation for Taiwan’s semiconductor revolution, but also marked a pivotal chapter in the island’s struggle for survival and global relevance.
Directed by award-winning Hsiao Chu-Chen and produced by semiconductor veteran Ben Chen and acclaimed Oscar member Ben Tsiang, this five-year project draws on insights from voices across generations—from early contributors to today’s professionals in the semiconductor industry. A Chip Odyssey traces Taiwan’s journey from humble beginnings to its emergence as a critical pillar of the digital world. Through the eyes of pioneering engineers, female line technicians, frontline policymakers, visionary scientists, and a new generation now facing critical choices, the film reveals how, half a century ago, an entire island came together in a high-stakes gamble to shape its own destiny—and the future of global technology.
Though Taiwan accounts for less than 0.02% of the world’s landmass, it has become an indispensable force in the era of AI and advanced chipmaking. As the invisible engines of modern life, chips produced in Taiwan now power everything from smart devices to strategic defense, placing the island at the center of the global technology race.
A Chip Odyssey is not only a chronicle of technological ascent; it is a powerful testament to the spirit of a small island that poured its heart and soul into survival, innovation, and global relevance. As tensions rise and the semiconductor race intensifies, the film reminds us that behind every chip lies a human story—and behind every breakthrough, a cross-generational gamble.
Event Presented by Pittsburgh Taiwanese Association
Co-presented by Taiwanese Scholar Society in Pittsburgh and National Taiwan University Alumni Association of Pittsburgh
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《造山者-世紀的賭注》
導演:蕭菊貞 | 發行:CNEX視納華仁文化傳播2025 | 台灣 | 106 分鐘
首部刻劃台灣半導體發展史的紀錄片電影,影片訪問超過80位見證半導體發展的關鍵人物,從當年的第一批工程師、女作業員、相關政策與科技界前輩,再到今日面臨抉擇的年輕工程師,深度呈現了台灣半導體產業如何從無到有,再蛻變成為全球科技發展的重要推手,這段跨越半世紀的紀錄片電影,見證了台灣重要的一頁近代史。
導演蕭菊貞在2019年參加科技界前輩胡定華的追思會,深受與會者分享的台灣半導體故事觸動。他們肩負國家使命,遠赴海外取回半導體製造的技術火種,那份革命情感與奮鬥精神,不僅開創了台灣半導體產業的契機,也見證了台灣的島嶼命運與生存挑戰。「這段歷史不能忘記!」成為導演拍攝這部紀錄片的初衷。台灣雖僅占全球陸地面積不到萬分之二,卻掌握著AI與先進製程晶片的關鍵技術,成為地緣政治的兵家必爭之地。台積電生產的晶片不僅牽動全球戰略與商業競爭,也讓台灣在國際局勢中扮演前所未有的重要角色。
矽科技時代,微小的晶片隱身在我們的生活之中,每分每秒控制著世界的運轉,半世紀過去,當年的半導體的種子已然成為一棵大樹守護著台灣,在這部紀錄片中,也讓我們看見晶片背後的台灣,如何傾全島之力在全球科技競賽中,站上關鍵地位,如何在強國利益間,為島嶼的安身立命奮鬥。
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匹茲堡台灣同鄉會 | 匹茲堡台灣學人學生會 | 匹茲堡台大校友會 敬邀

Friday, November 14, 2025

2023 film The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか) in Pittsburgh, from November 15.


The 2023 film The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか) will play in Pittsburgh from November 15, the next installment of Studio Ghibli Fest 2025.
After losing his mother during World War II, young Mahito moves to his family’s estate in the countryside. There, a series of mysterious events lead him to a secluded and ancient tower, home to a mischievous gray heron. When Mahito’s new stepmother disappears, he follows the gray heron into the tower and enters a world shared by the living and the dead. Earning the legendary Studio Ghibli its second Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature in 2024, The Boy and the Heron saw the triumphant return of legendary writer and director Hayao Miyazaki following a 10 year absence. Its painterly vistas and surreal imagery brilliantly capture one boy’s journey through grief, capstoneing the career of one of the world’s all-time great artists.
It plays locally at most local theaters, including the AMC Loews Waterfront, Chartiers Valley Luxury 14, Waterworks Cinema, and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson. Tickets are available online.

Korean BBQ in Oakland aims for January 7, 2026 Grand Opening.

Photo submitted by reader.

After more than two years of development, Korean BBQ in Oakland is aiming for a January 7, 2026 Grand Opening, according to signage on the door. Signage first went up at 414 Semple St. (map), the former location of Korea Garden, in September 2023. At this time it was among the many all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ and hot pot places planned for the area in 2023, capitalizing on the dining trend that saw a couple of them open. It has been beset by permitting and construction delays, but should it open it will be the first Korean BBQ place in Oakland and the fifth in the region overall, though several others are also in various stages of development.
Photo from October 27, 2025.

Exhibition Opening: Ting Tong Chang, November 21 at Mattress Factory.


The opening reception for the upcoming Ting Tong Chang (張碩尹) exhibition at the Mattress Factory will be held on November 21.
Discover our artist-in-residence, Ting Tong Chang's latest solo exhibition at Mattress Factory! A new immersive installation will be displayed on the lower floor of our 500 Sampsonia building.

Chang’s satirical gaze leaves no aspect of society untouched. Revelling in the absurd and illogical, he makes a mockery of socio-political subjects ranging from the social and ecological effects of consumerism to the functioning of the art world itself. Working across the distinct practices of immersive installation, video and theatre, his transgressive practice co-opts science, technology and history to dissect the world around him.

Chang was selected for exhibition by a panel of Mattress Factory alumni artists through the 2024 International Open Call. Artists who have worked in residency with Mattress Factory offer perspective unlike any other, one that is deeply familiar with the museum, engaged in many aspects of the contemporary art field, and invested in pushing our exhibitions in new directions.

Please note, parking is limited at our main lot at 505 Jacksonia Street, with additional street parking available in the surrounding neighborhood.

The event runs from 6:00 to 8:00 pm and is free and open to the public, though registration is required. This exhibition will be presented at 500 Sampsonia Way. in the Mexican War Streets neighborhood of the North Side (map).

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Free screening of 1948 Akira Kurosawa film Drunken Angel (醉いどれ天使) in Homestead, November 18.


The Pittsburgh Classic Movie Club will present a free screening of the 1948 Akira Kurosawa film Drunken Angel (醉いどれ天使) at the newly-renovated Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead on November 18. A synopsis, from the weekly University of Pittsburgh Asian Studies Center newsletter:
In postwar Tokyo, a blunt, alcohol-soaked doctor diagnoses a swaggering young yakuza with tuberculosis, forging an uneasy bond that’s tested when the gangster’s ruthless former boss returns and drags him back toward the swampy underworld he can’t escape.
The show starts at 7:00 pm and the Carnegie Music Hall is located at 510 E. 10th Ave. (map).

2004 Miyazaki film Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城) at The Oaks Theater in Oakmont, November 20.


The 2004 Miyazaki film Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城) will play at The Oaks Theater in Oakmont on November 20.
When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.
Doors open at 7, the movie starts at 8, and tickets are available online. The Oaks Theater is located at 310 Allegheny River Blvd. (map).

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

2025 compilation film JUJUTSU KAISEN: Execution (劇場版 呪術廻戦「渋谷事変 特別編集版」×「死滅回游 先行上映」) in Pittsburgh, from December 4.


The 2025 compilation film JUJUTSU KAISEN: Execution (劇場版 呪術廻戦「渋谷事変 特別編集版」×「死滅回游 先行上映」) will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters from December 4.
A veil abruptly descends over the busy Shibuya area amid the bustling Halloween crowds, trapping countless civilians inside. Satoru Gojo, the strongest jujutsu sorcerer, steps into the chaos. But lying in wait are curse users and spirits scheming to seal him away. Yuji Itadori, accompanied by his classmates and other top-tier jujutsu sorcerers, enters the fray in an unprecedented clash of curses — the Shibuya Incident. In the aftermath, ten colonies across Japan are transformed into dens of curses in a plan orchestrated by Noritoshi Kamo, the most wicked sorcerer in history. As the deadly Culling Game starts, Special Grade sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu is assigned to carry out Yuji’s execution for his perceived crimes. The desperate confrontation between Satoru Gojo’s two beloved students comes to the big screen with an early preview. Be the first to experience Yuji and Yuta’s fateful battle with the hotly anticipated kickoff to Season 3 in theatres nationwide.
It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monaca, Monroeville, and Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Japanese metal band HANABIE。 returns to Pittsburgh, March 20.


Japanese metal band HANABIE。will return to Pittsburgh on March 20, part of their North American tour with Nekrogoblikon and Enterprise Earth. Their Reddit fanpage provides an introduction:
Loud rock band HANABIE。formed at their school light music club in June 2015. Centering in Kichijōji, Tokyo, they started performing live around areas such as Shinjuku and Tachikawa.

The sound of Hanabie features the sound mixture of metalcore, hardcore, Hip-Hop, and J-POP. Their 1st album, "Girls Manifest" was released in 2020. With this album, they have established their own genre "HARAJUKUCORE"

Their live performances have a speed and power that exceeds expectations and captivates their audience. Yukina's powerful screaming/growling vocals never leave anyone without being amazed, along with this excellent melodic lines given by the clean voice of Matsuri, this is a complete basis for an amazing metalcore band but as for them it isn't enough they add different layers of voices between rap lines. If vocally they are great, in the instrumental part they're not left behind, aggressive, heavy, and dynamic. Certainly to define this band you need at least two words: dynamic and powerful.
The band played Preserving Underground in New Kensington in September 2023 and March 2025, and the Roxian Theatre in September 2024.

The all ages show at the Roxian Theatre in McKees Rocks (map) begins at 6:00 pm, and presale tickets are available online.

Tuesday, November 11, 2025

2025 Japanese animated movie Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (劇場版 チェンソーマン レゼ篇) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) November 20.


The 2025 Japanese animated movie Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (劇場版 チェンソーマン レゼ篇) which opened in Pittsburgh on October 23, will remain here through (at least ) November 20.
For the first time, Chainsaw Man slashes his way onto the big screen in an epic, action-fueled adventure that continues the hugely popular anime series. Denji worked as a Devil Hunter for the yakuza, trying to pay off the debt he inherited from his parents, until the yakuza betrayed him and had him killed. As he was losing consciousness, Denji’s beloved chainsaw-powered devil-dog, Pochita, made a deal with Denji and saved his life. This fused the two together, creating the unstoppable Chainsaw Man. Now, in a brutal war between devils, hunters, and secret enemies, a mysterious girl named Reze has stepped into his world, and Denji faces his deadliest battle yet, fueled by love in a world where survival knows no rules.
It plays locally at many Pittsburgh-area theaters, including the Chartiers Valley Luxury 14 and AMC Westmorelandin Greensburg. Tickets are available online.

Monday, November 10, 2025

Concert film SEVENTEEN WORLD TOUR [NEW_] IN JAPAN: LIVE VIEWING in Pittsburgh, November 29.


The upcoming concert film SEVENTEEN WORLD TOUR [NEW_] IN JAPAN: LIVE VIEWING will play in Pittsburgh on November 29.
Celebrating their 10th anniversary, SEVENTEEN embarks on a monumental new journey with their world tour [NEW_], symbolizing a fresh start and endless possibilities ahead. Known as a performance powerhouse, SEVENTEEN delivers dynamic stages, reimagined choreography, and solo performances that spotlight each member’s growth and artistry. From Incheon to North America and across Asia, the journey culminates in the Nagoya concert, broadcast live to cinemas worldwide on November 29. Experience SEVENTEEN’s passion, unity, and energy; on the big screen, together with fans around the world.
It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the Cinemark theater in Robinson, and tickets for the two shows that day are available online.

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