Artist in Exile: Mai Khôi & the Dissidents farewell show, July 8 at City of Asylum and online.

City of Asylum will present Artist in Exile: Mai Khôi & the Dissidents (Vietnamese Pop) on July 8.

Pittsburgh’s resident pop star and powerhouse Mai Khôi is leaving the city and starting her next chapter in Philadelphia—but not without a rockin’ farewell show. The alumna City of Asylum Artist-in-Residence returns with her group, the Dissidents.

Mai Khôi & the Dissidents was originally formed in 2016 with Vietnamese musicians, but the group was forced to disband due to government pressure. Khôi herself fled to the US in 2019, where she has lived in exile ever since. In 2021, she re-formed Mai Khôi & the Dissidents with American musicians, alongside pianist and composer Mark Micchelli. The new band features prominent members of Pittsburgh’s jazz, experimental music, and activist communities. For this performance, Mark and Khôi have composed and arranged a powerful style of music that reflects the turmoil of the world and the hope that continues to shine.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see Mai and Mark in their farewell show and give them a warm sendoff!

The concert runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm at Alphabet City on the North Side (map) and online. Registration for both modalities is required and can be completed online.

Chan Sze-Wei documentary 10s Across the Borders in Pittsburgh, June 23.

ReelQ and the City of Asylum will present a screening of the 2025 documentary 10s Across the Borders on June 23.

Set in Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia. New York and elsewhere, “10s Across the Borders” is a pan-Asian queer film that confronts homophobia, transphobia, and racism while celebrating the region’s underground ballroom culture. As the title suggests, Sze-Wei Chan envisions a world where members of Ballroom communities far from New York can also score a perfect 10.

This film follows three leading characters of Southeast Asia’s ballroom scene—Teddy from Malaysia who ran away from his homophobic father, Xyza from the Philippines who found beauty in herself after being rejected by the modeling world, and Sun who was born to a Thai sex worker mother and European father.

In the film’s finale, the performers’ surreal performance cuts between Southeast Asia’s back alleys and New York’s bustling streets, dissolving boundaries of nation, gender, race, age, religion, and class to soar beyond the rainbow. This is Southeast Asia’s answer to the seminal documentary, the 1990 classic Paris is Burning.

Reel Q hosts one of the oldest LGBTQ+ film festivals in the world. Since 1985, Reel Q has remained steadfast in their mission and worked diligently to highlight the diverse experiences of our worldwide community. For the better part of a decade, City of Asylum has been partnering with Reel Q to bring unique, international queer films to audiences (for free!) in a series formerly known as “Reel Stories.” From dramas to documentaries to playful rom-coms, we are honored and delighted to serve as a platform for these beautiful works to reach new audiences.

More information about the documentary is available via its official site. The screening runs from 7:00 to 8:30 pm, both in person and online via livestream, and is free and open to the public. The in-person screening will take place at Alphabet City on the North Side (map). Registration for both modalities is required and can be completed online.

"We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes resume at Carnegie Library in Oakland, Saturdays from June 20.

via the Republic of Korea's Flickr page.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Oakland will resume its free "We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes Saturdays from June 20 through August 29, after its most recent session concluded on May 9. 

Korean bluegrass band Country Gongbang in Pittsburgh, June 13.

The Korean bluegrass band Country Gongbang will play in Pittsburgh on June 13, part of the Three Rivers Arts Festival.

Country Gongbang is South Korea’s first and only bluegrass band, pioneering a distinctive blend of contemporary bluegrass with K‑pop sensibilities. Singing in both English and Korean, the group bridges musical cultures while carving out a unique voice in the global bluegrass scene.

In 2023, Country Gongbang received the International Band Performance Grant from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), recognizing their groundbreaking artistry. The award led to their historic 2024 U.S. tour, where they performed at major venues and festivals, including the legendary Grand Ole Opry in Nashville—becoming the first Korean band to perform on its iconic stage.

In 2025, the group was nominated for the IBMA Momentum Awards for Band of the Year and Vocalist of the Year, marking a historic milestone for a Korean bluegrass ensemble.

The band features Yebin Kim (mandolin, lead vocals), Hyunho Jang (banjo), Jongsu Yoon (fiddle), Sunjae Won (guitar), and Keeha Song (bass).

Blending tradition with bold innovation, Country Gongbang brings a vibrant new perspective to bluegrass music.

“South Korea’s Country Gongbang demonstrates that the basics of bluegrass aren’t limited exclusively to the realms of the western world.”
— Bluegrass Today

 The show runs from 6:00 to 7:00 pm at Dollar Bank Stage @ Arts Landing.

1999 Japanese animated film Adolescence of Utena (少女革命ウテナ アドゥレセンス黙示録) in Pittsburgh, June 21 and 22.

The 1999 Japanese animated film Adolescence of Utena (少女革命ウテナ アドゥレセンス黙示録) will play in Pittsburgh on June 21 and 22. A synopsis, from the distributor:

Utena enrolls in the prestigious Ohtori Academy on her quest to become a prince, and stumbles into a mysterious cabal of students dueling for possession of the “Rose Bride.” The role belongs to their classmate Anthy, an enigmatic girl who equally captivates and confuses Utena. While fending off powerful rivals, Utena must uncover the secrets surrounding Anthy and her own desires. As the relationship between the girls intensifies, their thirst for freedom crescendoes into a need for revolution.

ADOLESCENCE OF UTENA is a standalone genre classic that brings together the creative genius of director Kunihiko Ikuhara (Revolutionary Girl Utena, Sailor Moon), writer Yoji Enokido (EVANGELION franchise), and art director Shichiro Kobayashi (ANGEL’S EGG) with J.A. Seazer’s transcendent music. Straddling the line between fairytale and surrealist opera, the film stands as a bold display of the ways social roles chain us— and demands we smash through them.

It plays locally at the Cinemark in Robinson and the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online.

2026 Vietnamese supernatural horror film Phi Phong: The Blood Demon (Phi Phông: Quỷ Máu Rừng Thiêng) in Pittsburgh from May 29.

The 2026 Vietnamese supernatural horror film Phi Phong: The Blood Demon (Phi Phông: Quỷ Máu Rừng Thiêng) will play in Pittsburgh from May 29 through June 3.

Follows a remote mountain village haunted by the Phí Phông, a terrifying supernatural entity that lives among humans by day while secretly feeding on their blood and life force at night.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.

Longtime Squirrel Hill Korean grocery, New Young's Oriental Grocery, to close June 10. 50% off sale while supplies last.

New Young's Oriental Grocery, a Korean grocery in Squirrel Hill for nearly 40 years, is closing June 10. It is holding a 50% sale while inventory lasts. Young's is located at 5813 Forward Ave., behind the GetGo gas station (map).

Teriyaki Express soft opens in Squirrel Hill, in former Viet Nom Nom spot.

Teriyaki Express has soft opened in Squirrel Hill. Its menu offers a variety of teriyaki dishes reminiscent of a mall food court---chicken, beef, and shrimp---and Asian appetizers like tempura and dumplings. It operates several spots in Ohio, but the Pittsburgh location is at 1715 Murray Ave. (map), taking the place of Viet Nom Nom, which closed March 30.

2001 Japanese film Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) at Rangos Giant Cinema, May 29.

The 2001 Japanese film Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) will play at the Rangos Giant Cinema on May 29, the final installment of a Studio Ghibli series this month.

In Hayao Miyazaki’s unforgettable film, “Spirited Away,” audiences are transported with Chihiro to an otherworldly bath house occupied by strange spirits. Join her on her journey to reunite with her parents and return to her own world on Fri., May 29 at 7 p.m.

The show starts at 7:00 pm and tickets are available online. The Kamin Science Center, formerly known as the Carnegie Science Center, is located at 1 Allegheny Ave. on the North Shore (map).

2025 Hong Kong action film The Furious (火遮眼) in Pittsburgh from June 11.

The 2025 English-language Hong Kong action film The Furious (火遮眼) will play in Pittsburgh from June 11. A synopsis, from the distributor:

After the daughter of Wang Wei (Xie Miao) is kidnapped by a criminal network and he receives no help from the corrupt police, Wei sets out on a rampage to find her himself.

His only ally is Navin (Joe Taslim) - a relentless journalist whose wife has mysteriously disappeared. Fueled by a furious vengeance, the unlikely duo ruthlessly fights against the kidnappers in this explosive martial arts showdown.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the AMC Westmoreland in Greensburg, and tickets are available online.