"Cookie Activism: Using Sugar as a Platform for Social Justice with Jasmine Cho," April 21 (online) at Pittsburgh Humanities Festival.

The Pittsburgh Humanities Festival will present an online conversation with Jasmine Cho, "Cookie Activism: Using Sugar as a Platform for Social Justice with Jasmine Cho," on April 21.

Jasmine Cho will discuss her work as a baker based in Pittsburgh and how she uses the art of cookie making and decorating as a therapy and to promote Asian American representation. She creates intricate, hand-drawn cookie portraits of Asian American figures as a way to increase representation and raise awareness of Asian American history and identity. Her work has been featured internationally on various media outlets and she is currently working toward developing a research-based bake therapy program rooted in the field of art therapy.

Jasmine will be interviewed by Sarah Tang. She was originally scheduled to participate in last year's festival that was ultimately cancelled due to COVID-19. This year's event starts at 7:00 pm, and the talks will be streamed on the Cultural Trust's Facebook and Youtube pages.

2006 Jet Li movie Fearless (霍元甲) at Carrie Carpool Cinema, May 22.

Carrie Carpool Cinema, an outdoor drive-in movie series at Carrie Furnaces, will present the 2006 Jet Li movie Fearless (霍元甲) on May 22. Wikipedia provides a synopsis:

It is loosely based on the life of Huo Yuanjia, a Chinese martial artist who challenged foreign fighters in highly publicized events, restoring pride and nationalism to China at a time when Western imperialism and Japanese manipulation were eroding the country in the final years of the Qing Dynasty before the birth of the Republic of China.

Doors open at 7:45 and the movie starts at 9:15 pm; tickets are available online. Carrie Blast Furnaces is a designated National Historic Landmark in Rankin (map).

2020 Korean-American film Minari remains in Pittsburgh through (at least) April 7.

The 2020 Korean-American film Minari, which opened in Pittsburgh on February 11, will remain here through at least April 7. A synopsis, from the distributor:

A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. The family home changes completely with the arrival of their sly, foul-mouthed, but incredibly loving grandmother. Amidst the instability and challenges of this new life in the rugged Ozarks, Minari shows the undeniable resilience of family and what really makes a home.

It will continue at several local theaters, including (on certain days) the AMC Loews Waterfront and AMC Mt. Lebanon. Tickets are available online.

Pitt hiring program assistant for Japan Studies program.

The University of Pittsburgh is hiring a program assistant for its Japan Studies program.

The Program Assistant will be primarily responsible for providing administrative and programmatic support for developing community engagement programming in the field of Japan Studies. The Program Assistant will promote Japan Studies across a broad range of disciplines and languages, in engagement activities coordinated with the Asian Studies Center, other units of the University, K-16 teachers and students, local internationally engaged organizations, other major universities, community colleges and Title III/Title V- eligible institutions. The Program Assistant will work with faculty, staff, students, K-16 educators, pre-service and in-service teachers to develop outreach materials about Japan Studies. Primary duties include: 1) Cultivate connections with local community groups 2) Develop and conduct virtual Japan-related outreach programs designed for regional populations of Southwestern Pennsylvania. 3) Support Japan Studies Faculty activities 4) Organize and implement online seminars and workshops that support dialog and networking to foster a deeper understanding of Japan 5) Assist with all aspects of virtual programming including registration, video conferencing, technical troubleshooting and recording of online events. The Program Assistant will manage the scheduling, logistics, publicity, and information for a range of Japan Studies activities. The Program Assistant may also be asked to assist the Asian Studies Center with other events and programs as needed.

One year of relevant program experience Interest and some knowledge of East Asia desired and background in Japan Studies required. Proficiency in written and oral Japanese. The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity. EOE, including disability/vets

The position is categorized as Staff Administrator I.

Eddie Huang film Boogie continues in Pittsburgh, through (at least) April 8.

The Eddie Huang film Boogie, which opened in Pittsburgh on March 5, will continue here through at least April 8. From the distributor:

From acclaimed writer, producer and restaurateur Eddie Huang comes his directorial debut Boogie, the coming-of-age story of Alfred “Boogie” Chin, a basketball phenom living in Queens, New York, who dreams of one day playing in the NBA. While his parents pressure him to focus on earning a scholarship to an elite college, Boogie must find a way to navigate a new girlfriend, high school, on-court rivals and the burden of expectation.

It will continue locally at Waterworks Cinema, and tickets are available online.

"Hatsune Miku, DTM, and Niconico: Exploring Media Ecosystems in Contemporary Japan and Beyond," March 31 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Keisuke Yamada and "Hatsune Miku, DTM, and Niconico: Exploring Media Ecosystems in Contemporary Japan and Beyond" on March 31.

In the virtual presentation, Dr. Yamada discusses the Vocaloid and DTM (desktop music) phenomena through the lenses of media and fan studies, looking at online social media platforms, the new technology for composing, and fans of the Vocaloid character. He provides a sense of how interactive new media and an empowered fan base combine to engage in the creation processes and enhance the circulation of Vocaloid works. The question of how today’s DTM culture expands in scale hinges upon such lively collaborations and interconnections, not just between individuals, but also among individuals, technologies, and distribution infrastructures.

The talk starts at 6:30 pm and is free and open to the public, though registration is required.

Fairmont Pittsburgh hiring Mandarin-speaking Food and Beverage Manager (餐饮部经理).

The Fairmont Pittsburgh hotel is hiring a Mandarin-speaking Food and Beverage Manager (餐饮部经理).

您是一个拥有大胆想法且热情的美食家吗？若您是，我们有份合适的工作正等着您！作为餐饮部经理，您将有策略性地带领团队将客户满意度提升到新的水平。

2019 Singaporean film Revenge of the Pontianak online at Pitt, April 7.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present the 2019 film Revenge of the Pontianak on April 7 as the next installment in its Malaysian Horror Series. A synopsis, from Netflix:

A wedding in a Malaysian village leaves out one guest: a scorned vampire ghost bent on settling a secret score with the groom and anyone in her way.

The onilne presentation starts at 7:00 pm.

"Finding Home: Elizabeth Miki Brina & Nadia Owusu Live," April 5 with City of Asylum.

City of Asylum presents "Finding Home: Elizabeth Miki Brina & Nadia Owusu Live" on April 5.

Tonight two debut novelists read and discuss their newest memoirs: Elizabeth Miki Brina’s debut novel Speak, Okinawa beautifully combs a lifetime of memory, love, loss, the connections that bind us to one another, and is one of the most anticipated memoirs of 2021. A searing, deeply candid story about a young woman’s journey to understand her complicated parents and her own, fraught cultural heritage. Aftershocks is a deeply felt memoir from Whiting Award–winner Nadia Owusu about the push and pull of belonging, the seismic emotional toll of family secrets, and the heart it takes to pull through. Both novelists will discuss their works exploring their common themes of migrations, identity, and feeling out of place, in a live discussion and audience Q&A.

Elizabeth Miki Brina grew up with the trappings of a typical American childhood and adolescence. Yet even though she felt almost no connection to her mother’s distant home, she also felt out of place among her peers. Elizabeth comes to recognize the shame and self-loathing that haunt both her and her mother, and attempts a form of reconciliation, not only to come to terms with the embattled dynamics of her family but also to reckon with the injustices that reverberate throughout the history of Okinawa and its people. Clear-eyed and profoundly humane, Speak, Okinawa is a startling accomplishment–a heartfelt exploration of identity, inheritance, forgiveness, and what it means to be an American. Elizabeth Miki Brina is the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Bread Loaf Scholarship and a New York State Summer Writers Institute Scholarship. She currently lives and teaches in New Orleans.

The event begins at 7:00 pm and registration is required.

2020 Japanese film Violet Evergarden: The Movie (劇場版 ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデ) in Pittsburgh, from March 30.

The 2020 Japanese film Violet Evergarden: The Movie (劇場版 ヴァイオレット・エヴァーガーデ) will play in Pittsburgh on, so far, March 30, March 31, April 3, and April 4. A synopsis, from the distributor:

While writing other people’s emotions, she may have neglected her own. Violet Evergarden, the child soldier turned Auto Memory Doll, writes letters that evoke the words her clients can’t. But when a terminally ill boy requests her services for his family, her own feelings about love and loss resurface. Now she must confront her past and the death of the Major.

At this point it is scheduled to play at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in North Hills and Robinson, and tickets are available online.