Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓) in Pittsburgh, August 12, 13, and 15.

The 1988 Studio Ghibli film Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓) will play in the Pittsburgh area on August 12, 13, and 15 as part of this year's GKIDS Ghibli Fest. Afour-star Roger Ebert review calls the film "an emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation," and the distributor provides a summary:

As the Empire of the Sun crumbles upon itself and a rain of firebombs falls upon Japan, the final death march of a nation is echoed in millions of smaller tragedies. This is the story of Seita and his younger sister Setsuko, two children born at the wrong time, in the wrong place, and now cast adrift in a world that lacks not the care to shelter them, but simply the resources. Forced to fend for themselves in the aftermath of fires that swept entire cities from the face of the earth, their doomed struggle is both a tribute to the human spirit and the stuff of nightmares. Beautiful, yet at times brutal and horrifying. Based on the retellings of survivor Nosaka Akiyuki and directed by Isao Takahata (co-founder, with Hayao Miyazaki, of Japan’s legendary Studio Ghibli,) Grave Of The Fireflies has been universally hailed as an artistic and emotional tour de force. Now digitally remastered and restored, it is one of the rare films that truly deserves to be called a masterpiece.

The film will play at the Cinemark theaters in Monaca, Monroeville, Pittsburgh Mills, and Robinson. The August 12 and 15 screenings are dubbed in English, while the August 13 screening is in Japanese with English subtitles.

Library Orientation for new Chinese, Japanese, and Korean students at Pitt, from August 21.

via @匹茲堡大學.

Incoming University of Pittsburgh students from Japan, Korea, and Chinese-speaking countries are invited to attend Library Orientations in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, starting August 21.

Would you like to know...

• A librarian who speaks your native language?
• The difference between academic libraries in the U.S. and libraries in your home country?
• The many wonderful services that the library offers to help your area of study and research at Pitt?
• If so, please come to attend one of the library orientation sessions.

Library Orientation for New Chinese Students is scheduled for:

• August 21, 2:00 to 3:00 pm
• August 22, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
• August 23, 2:00 to 3:00 pm
• August 24, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm

Library Orientation for New Japanese Students is scheduled for:

• August 22, 2:00 to 3:00 pm

And Library Orientation for New Korean Students is scheduled for:

• August 23, 3:00 to 4:00 pm

All sessions will be held in G-74 of the Hillman Library (map). The information sessions are free, but registration is required and can be completed at the links above.

2015's Tokyo Tribe (トウキョウ トライブ トゥー) at Row House Cinema, August 11, for midnight screening.

The 2015 film Tokyo Tribe (トウキョウ トライブ トゥー) will play at the Row House Cinema at midnight on August 11.. An A.V. Club review of the "demented rap musical" offers a final take:

With its over-the-top violence, cast of bizarre bit characters (a beat-boxing henchwoman, a DJ granny, etc.), and a compulsion to interject phallic imagery that borders on coprographia, Tokyo Tribe throws so much at the viewer that it’s easy to get swept up in its deranged energy and overlook the fact that the movie doesn’t have a flicker of a brain cell, being not much more than a celebration of aggressive stupidity. Sometimes, that’s fine.

Tickets for this 11:59 pm "Midnight Edition" showing are now available. The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler Street in Lawrenceville (map).

Jessica Yu's 2007 movie Ping Pong Playa at Cinema in the Park, August 8 and 11.

The 2007 movie Ping Pong Playa will play outdoors in two Pittsburgh parks this month as part of this summer's Cinema in the Park series. Rotten Tomatoes provides a summary:

Christopher "C-dub" Wang is a suburban guy who sports an urban swagger, waxes political on all things Asian American, and clings to pipe dreams of a career as a pro basketball player. Blaming genetics for his failure to make the NBA, C-dub lives at home, works a dead-end job, and squirms in the shadow of his older brother, Michael, a doctor and ping pong champion. When the Wang family livelihood is threatened by a rival ping pong player's attempts to lure the kids away, C-dub begins to take things more seriously. With the National Golden Cock Tournament coming up and an injured Michael unable to defend his title, C-dub must become the player he pretends to be and defend his family's ping pong dynasty.

The movie will play at Schenley Park's Flagstaff Hill on August 8 and at Observatory Hill's Riverview Park on August 11. Movies start at dusk and are free and open to the public.

My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ～２人の英雄) in Pittsburgh, from September 25.

The 2018 anime My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (僕のヒーローアカデミア THE MOVIE ～２人の英雄) will play at the Southside Works Cinema from September 25. The distributor provides a summary:

The anime smash hit that’s swept the world now makes its debut on the big screen! Our favorite young hero-in-training is in for a wild ride when villains threaten the artificial moving city, I-Island.

Deku and All Might receive an invitation to I-Expo, the world’s leading exhibition of Quirk abilities and hero item innovations!Amid the excitement, sponsors, and pros from all over, Deku meets Melissa, a girl who is Quirkless just like he once was. Suddenly, I-Expo’s top-of-the-line security system gets hacked by villains, and a sinister plan is set in motion. It’s a serious threat to hero society, and one man holds the key to it all—the symbol of peace, All Might.

The movie will play in Pittsburgh on September 25, 26, 29, and October 2. Tickets are available online. Southside Works Cinema is located at 425 Cinema Drive in the Southside, one block from the Hot Metal Bridge (map).

Haikyuu!! The Movie: Battle of Concepts (ハイキュー!! コンセプトの戦い) in Pittsburgh, September 19 and 22.

The movie Haikyuu!! The Movie: Battle of Concepts (ハイキュー!! コンセプトの戦い) will play at Southside Works Cinema on September 19 and 22.

Based on the 3rd season of the popular TV anime series Haikyuu!!, the compilation film focuses on the Karasuno High Boys volleyball team preparing for their final face off to represent the prefecture in the volleyball national championship.

Despite being known as "The Fallen Champions", Karasuno High boys volleyball team is highly determined to take down the powerhouse, Shiratorizawa High boys volleyball team. As Hinata comes closer to fulfilling his promise of defeating Ushijima's team, will the "Flightless Crows" finally find their wings and soar above the best school in the prefecture?

The movie will play in Japanese with English subtitles, and tickets are available online. Southside Works Cinema is located at 425 Cinema Drive in the Southside, one block from the Hot Metal Bridge (map).

Pittsburgh prepares for its first arrivals from direct Pittsburgh-Shanghai flight.

Via Pittsburgh International Airport

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette today shares some of the preparations going into making the first arrivals from Shanghai feel welcome, ahead of the first direct flight from Shanghai to Pittsburgh International Airport on August 3.

There will be festivities at the airport, with volunteers available to help them navigate customs and any language barriers. All 300-plus passengers from the flight will be offered a welcome dinner at the Carnegie Science Center.

As part of their tour package, some travelers also will spend time in Pittsburgh riding the incline, taking in the sights from Mount Washington, and visiting the Carnegie museums in Oakland and the University of Pittsburgh nationality rooms before leaving for other cities.

Local officials are hoping that the visitors’ first impressions of the Steel City will be positive and that they will take to the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms to spread the news.

Pitt's East Asian Library hiring student with Chinese proficiency.

The East Asian Library at the University of Pittsburgh is again hiring a student with Chinese proficiency to work as an assistant on a Chinese studies related project for the 2018-2019 school year.

The University of Pittsburgh’s East Asian Library is looking for a reliable, detail-oriented student to work 20 hours per week. The student assistant will help to carry on a Chinese studies related project. Primary responsibilities include data extracting, input, sorting and testing.

*This position is for Fall and Spring Term FY19 only.

The job is 20 hours per week at $8.15 per hour.

Pitt's East Asian Library hiring student with Korean and Japanese proficiency.

The East Asian Library at the University of Pittsburgh is again looking for a student with Korean and Japanese proficiency to work as an office assistant in the 2018-2019 school year.

The University of Pittsburgh’s East Asian Library is looking for a reliable, detail-oriented student to work 10 hours per week. Working knowledge of Korean and Japanese languages is required. Primary responsibilities include updating LibGuides, supporting organized events, and sending materials to storage. Other tasks or collaborative projects may be assigned.

*This position is for Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 Terms only

The position is 10 hours per week at $8.15 per hour.

Chinese Calligraphy Workshop, August 18 downtown.

"Chinese calligrapher," by David Boté Estrada (Creative Commons).

The downtown branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will host a free Chinese Calligraphy Workshop on August 18.

A Chinese calligraphy expert will show us pictures of her home in China, give background on the art of calligraphy, and lead a Chinese calligraphy workshop for all ages!

It runs from 2:30 to 3:30 pm and is free and open to the public. The library is located at 612 Smithfield St. (map).