The Propaganda Game, Coffin in the Mountain (心迷宫) at CMU International Film Festival, March 24 and 26.

The CMU International Film Festival recently announced the schedule for its 2016 iteration, with two movies of special interest to this site: 2014's The Propaganda Game and the 2015 Chinese film Coffin in the Mountain (心迷宫).

Dou kyu sei (同級生) movie at Hollywood Theater, May 8.

The Hollywood Theater in Dormont will show the 2016 Japanese animated movie Dou kyu sei (Classmates, 同級生) on Sunday, May 8.

Kenny Endo Contemporary Ensemble Concert at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, March 24.

The Manchester Craftsmen's Guild will host the Kenny Endo Contemporary Ensemble for a concert on March 24. The Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania [JASP] explains:

Kenny Endo is a world famous taiko drum artist who has the honor of being the first non-Japanese national to receive the title of Natori (stage name and master’s degree) of Hogaku hayashi – traditional drumming. He has performed for Michael Jackson, Princess Di, opened for The Who, and was recorded in motion-capture suit for James Cameron’s “Avatar.”

The concert starts at 7:00 pm at 1815 Metropolitan St. (map) on the North Side. Tickets are available online and cost $30 for general admission, $25 for students and seniors, and $20 for JASP members.

Papa (洛杉矶捣蛋计划‬) in Pittsburgh, from March 18.

The 2016 Chinese movie Papa (洛杉矶捣蛋计划‬) will receive a limited North American premiere on March 18 and will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront. A summary, from the distributor:

A bumbling Chinese talent manager flies to LA in pursuit of his escaped singer, but winds up with five adopted kids and an important lesson in life.

Chinese film Mountains May Depart (山河故人) at Harris Theater, from March 18.

The 2015 Chinese film Mountains May Depart (山河故人) will play at the Harris Theater from March 18 through March 24. A February 11 New York Times review provides a summary:

Three times in “Mountains May Depart,” the latest from the transformative Chinese director Jia Zhangke, people stand near a river that weaves through the landscape like a snake. In the first instance, three friends light fireworks that send out modest sparks. In the second, only two return to the river, where they ignite a bundle of dynamite. By the third trip, only one of the original three remains, everyone’s life having changed as profoundly as China, a cataclysm that’s expressed by a series of rapid explosions in the river, suggesting a drowning world.

Few filmmakers working today look as deeply at the changing world as Mr. Jia does, or make the human stakes as vivid. The three sending out those sparks are Tao (Zhao Tao), and her two close male friends, Zhang Jinsheng (Zhang Yi) and Liangzi (Liang Jin Dong). An affable, easygoing drifter with an expansive smile, Tao works in a small store in the city of Fenyang (Mr. Jia’s birthplace). Mr. Jia likes a slow reveal and it isn’t initially obvious that Tao is the movie’s emotional organizing principle whose feelings run, surge and erupt. The story tracks Tao and her relations with both Liangzi, who works at a coal mine, and Jinsheng, a budding entrepreneur.

The movie premiered in Pittsburgh last fall as one of two Asian movies in the 2015 3 Rivers Film Fest. Showtimes are now available at the theater's website. The Harris Theater is located at 809 Liberty Ave. in the downtown Pittsburgh Cultural District (map).

Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival at Row House Cinema, March 18 - 24.

The Row House Cinema will present its first Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival from March 18 through 24. The four films scheduled are 1949's Late Spring (晩春); the 1991 Studio Ghibli film Only Yesterday (おもひでぽろぽろ) making its US premiere; the 1985 Kurosawa film Ran (乱); and the 2015 "demented rap musical" Tokyo Tribe (トウキョウ トライブ トゥー). Showtimes and ticket information are available on the theater's website.

"Turning Crisis into a Blessing: The Evolution of Japanese Culture through Disaster" colloquium at Pitt, March 18.

The University of Pittsburgh's Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures will present a colloquium by MA candidate Timothy Hogge, "Turning Crisis into a Blessing: The Evolution of Japanese Culture through Disaster", on March 18. The abstract:

The purpose of this paper is to examine three major turning points in Japanese history and the evolution of Japanese culture as a result of disaster. The 1923 Kanto Earthquake, the post-World War II era, and the 3.11 triple disasters will be examined to show not only how Japanese culture has evolved over time in responses to these disasters, but also how some aspects of the culture have remained the same. Government responses, general population responses, film, art, and even literature will all be examined as a means to determine exactly how Japan's culture has evolved over time and how these three disasters represent how Japan experiences what I define as a "culture of disaster". Historical links between these disasters will also be examined such as radiation and food affecting the commerce of Japan. This inter-disciplinary approach to this examination is beneficial in that it examines multiple aspects of the disaster culture instead of focusing on one sole aspect and ignoring the rest of the culture that is occurring congruently with the disasters in question.

The talk will start at 12:00 in 4130 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

"Strange Beauty: Radiography from Fukushima" at University Art Gallery, March 15 - 18.

The University of Pittsburgh's University Art Gallery will host photographer Takashi Morizumi and his exhibit "Strange Beauty: Radiography from Fukushima" from Tuesday, March 15 through Friday, March 18.

6th annual Matsuri at CMU, March 25.

The Japanese Student Association at Carnegie Mellon University will present its 6th annual Matsuri on Friday, March 25. The spring matsuri (meaning festival in Japanese) benefits Minato Middle School in Ishinomaki city, which was destroyed by the March 11, 2011 tsunami. More information, from the Facebook event page:

Japanese Student Association is proud to announce its biggest event of the year: Matsuri. Join us in celebrating aspects of Japanese food, culture and society. We will be hosting the event at Merson Courtyard outside of the University Center on Friday March 25th, from 3:30 to 8 PM. While you enjoy these acts, traditional Japanese decorations and festival games, feel free to eat a variety of foods from our Food Booths such as Takoyaki, Yakisoba, Okonomiyaki, Dango and a variety of other Japanese foods! Small carnival games will be available, and J@CMU's origami and cooking groups will also be in attendance to further promote Japanese culture at CMU.

All profits go to recovery efforts for the Minato Middle School in Japan which is still suffering from the earthquake and tsunami on March 11th, 2011. Your contribution is valuable and we hope to send a sizable amount of supplies this year, as we did last year. For more information regarding donations please go to this site: http://matsuri.cmu-jsa.com/cause.html

Admission is free and the event is open to the public at the rear of the Cohon University Center (map). Additional information is available at the Japanese Student Association's website.

Psycho-Pass: The Movie (劇場版 PSYCHO-PASS サイコパス) in Pittsburgh, March 15 and 16.

The 2015 Japanese animated movie Psycho-Pass: The Movie (劇場版 PSYCHO-PASS サイコパス) will play at the Hollywood Theater in Dormont and Southside Works Cinema on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 15 and 16. The Hollywood Theater provides a summary:

One of the most popular sci-fi anime series in the past five years is making its way to the big screen. Possessing an animation and production budget only possible with a feature film, Psycho-Pass: The Movie will blow away movie-goers with its explosive action sequences and thought-provoking storytelling. This film is a must-see for fans of the TV series and fans of sci-fi action films like Akira, Blade Runner, and Minority Report.

In this culmination of the two-season Psycho-Pass TV series, Inspector Tsunemori is sent to a neighboring war-torn nation, where the Sibyl System is being introduced as an experiment, to find Shinya Kogami, her former enforcer who went rogue three years ago.

The movie will play at the Hollywood Theater both nights at 7:30 pm, and tickets are available online. Southside Works Cinema will also be one of the 100+ theaters showing the film during its North American premiere on the 15th and 16th, and tickets for the 7:00 pm show each night are now available via the theater's website.