Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便) at Penn Hills Library for Young Adult Miyazaki Movie Marathon, March 10.

The Penn Hills Library will show Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便) on March 10 as the next installment of its Young Adult Miyazaki Movie Marathon.

"In Conversation: An-My Lê and Viet Thanh Nguyen," April 4 at Carnegie Museum of Art.

Untitled, Sapa, 1995, via anmyle.com

An exhibition by Vietnamese-American photographer An-My Lê opens on March 14 at the Carnegie Museum of Art, and one of the associated programs is a conversation between the photographer and Pulitzer prize winner Viet Thanh Nguyen on April 4.

Vietnamese American photographer An-My Lê joins Pulitzer prize winner Viet Thanh Nguyen in conversation in the museum’s theater. Nguyen’s prize-winning debut novel The Sympathizer explores questions of identity, immigration, and conflict, mirroring many of the themes present in Lê’s photography. This event is a unique chance to hear these two leading voices discuss their shared personal history (both fled Vietnam during the Vietnam War, eventually moving to the US with their families) and the thematic similarities in their work.

This event is free with registration but likely to fill quickly.

The event runs from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in the Heinz Galleries, and registration can be completed online. The museum is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakland (map), accessible by buses 28X, 58, 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 67, 69, 71B, 71D, 75, and P3.

Plastique Tiara at Pitt, March 18.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Students Alliance will host Plastique Tiara on March 18.

ASA is bringing in Plastique Tiara! She is a drag queen, performer, and hairdresser. She was also featured/was a contestant on season 11 of "Rupaul's Drag Race".

It runs from 8:00 to 10:00 pm in the William Pitt Union's Assembly Room (map).

Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) March 12.

The Oscar-winning 2019 Bong Joon-ho film Parasite (기생충) will keep playing throughout the Pittsburgh region through at least March 12. A synopsis from the movie's official site:

Bong Joon Ho brings his singular mastery home to Korea in this pitch-black modern fairytale.

Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist, to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks. By turns darkly hilarious and heart-wrenching, PARASITE showcases a modern master at the top of his game.

Here is a list of currently-scheduled screenings:

• AMC Mt. Lebanon: now through March 5
• AMC Loews Waterfront: now through March 11
• Cinemark Pittsburgh Mills: now through March 5
• Squirrel Hill Manor: now through March 5
• Southside Works Cinema: now through March 12
• Waterworks Cinema: now through March 11

"Finding a Balance Between Diversity and Language Standards in a University-Level Japanese Language Program," March 6 at Pitt.

The Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures at the University of Pittsburgh will host Shinsuke Tsuchiya of Brigham Young University and his talk "Finding a Balance Between Diversity and Language Standards in a University-Level Japanese Language Program" on March 6.

One of the challenges that language professionals face in our increasingly diverse communities is establishing a balance between diversity and language standards. While Standard Japanese can be considered a common language to interact with the majority of Japanese speakers who may not be accustomed to nonnative speech (ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines, 2012), the strict requirement to follow the monolingual standard may disregard the legitimacy of multilingual speakers, including nonstandard dialect speakers. The presenter will discuss pros and cons of setting standards in language programs and relevant findings concerning the native speaker fallacy (Tsuchiya, 2019). Then the presenter will share his shifting perspectives on errors, interlanguage, dialectal differences, and certain “nonstandard” practices (e.g. translanguaging) in his experience of training, hiring, and supervising teaching assistants at Brigham Young University.

It starts at 4:00 pm in 208B Cathedral of Learning (map) and is free and open to the public.

"Vietgone" in Pittsburgh, March 2021, part of City Theater's 2020-2021 season.

Via AmericanStage.org

The Qui Nguyen play "Vietgone" will run in Pittsburgh from March 6 to 28, 2021, part of City Theater's 2020-2021 season. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette gives an overview:

Described as "highly theatrical, irreverent and sexy," the circa 1975 play tells a love story about two very new Americans on a "fast-paced, hip-hop infused" road trip. "Vietgone," the 2016 Steinberg New Play Award winner, premiered at South Coast Rep, when City's Masterson was artistic director there.

Tickets are not yet available. The theater is located at 1300 Bingham St. in the South Side (map).

13 films announced for Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival, March 20 through April 2.

The 13 films that comprise the fifth annual Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival at Row House Cinema were announced on Monday and include:

• A Girl Missing (よこがお)
• Children of the Sea (海獣の子供)
• Human Lost (人間失格)
• Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People (マタンゴ
• Ride Your Wave (きみと、波にのれたら)
• Rise of the Machine Girls (爆裂魔神少女 バーストマシンガール)
• Sansho the Baliff (山椒大夫)
• Street of Shame (赤線地帯)
• The Island of Cats (ねことじいちゃん)
• Ugetsu (雨月物語)
• Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memories Doll (ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデン 外伝 - 永遠と自動手記人形)
• We are Little Zombies (ウィーアーリトルゾンビーズ)
• Weathering With You (天気の子)

Tickets and showtime information is available at the festival's official site. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

New restoration of 2003 Satoshi Kon film Tokyo Godfathers (東京ゴッドファーザーズ) in Pittsburgh, March 9 and 11.

A 2020 restoration of the 2003 animated Satoshi Kon film Tokyo Godfathers (東京ゴッドファーザーズ) will play in Pittsburgh on March 9 and 11. From the distributor:

Tokyo Godfathers,the acclaimed holiday classic from master director Satoshi Kon (Paprika, Perfect Blue), returns to theaters in a brand-new digital restoration.

On Christmas Eve, three homeless companions stumble upon a baby girl in a garbage heap. They name her Kiyoko, and vow to care for her as they track down her family. Haunted by memories of their own broken pasts and pursued by a cast of shadowy characters from Tokyo’s nightlife, Hana, Gin and Miyuki overcome their differences and learn to trust one another as a new, makeshift family. With the New Year fast approaching, the mystery behind baby Kiyoko deepens, and these unlikely heroes discover the surprising – and sometimes miraculous – connections that have brought them all together.

Co-written by Keiko Nobumoto (Cowboy Bebop) and featuring a whimsical score by Keiichi Suzuki, Tokyo Godfathersis a masterpiece by turns heartfelt, hilarious and highly original, a tale of hope and redemption in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

The movie will play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville and Robinson. The March 9 shows are in Japanese with English subtitles and the March 11 shows are dubbed in English. Tickets are available online.

Rise of the Machine Girls (爆裂魔神少女 バーストマシンガール) to close Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival, April 2.

Tickets are now available for Rise of the Machine Girls (爆裂魔神少女 バーストマシンガール), which will close the fifth annual Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival at the Row House Cinema on April 2.

Join us for Closing Night of the 5th Japanese Film Festival. We’re closing it out Brew & View style, which means you get beers served to your seat throughout the show! The night will kick off with a compilation of Japan’s whackiest TV game shows (back by popular demand from JFF 2019) and then we’ll watch the Pittsburgh Premiere of RISE OF THE MACHINE GIRLS.

Japan Currents: Healthcare Connections between PA & Japan, March 11 in Pittsburgh.

The Japan-American Society of Pennsylvania will host "Japan Currents: Healthcare Connections between PA & Japan" on March 11.

This event focuses on an industry that is central to the economies of both Pittsburgh and Japan – healthcare technology. After an overview of the economic impacts of the industry, experts from research, products, and care will speak about contributions and opportunities in their sectors.

Join us for a conversation with experts on how this industry connects our region with Japan and moves us toward the future at the Rivers Club on March 11 from 7:30 to 9:00 AM.

It will be held at the Rivers Club downtown (map) and tickets are available online for $15 for students with valid ID, $25 for JASP members, and $35 for the general public.