1988 film My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ) in Pittsburgh, March 25 - 29.

designed by Huang Hai, via Spoon & Tamago.

The 1988 film My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ) will play in Pittsburgh from March 25 through 29, the first installment of this year's Studio Ghibli Fest. A synopsis, from the distributor:

From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away and Ponyo, and Academy Award®-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, comes a classic tale of magic and adventure for the whole family.

When Satsuki and her sister Mei move with their father to a new home in the countryside, they find country life is not as simple as it seems. They soon discover that the house and nearby woods are full of strange and delightful creatures, including a gigantic but gentle forest spirit called Totoro, who can only be seen by children. Totoro and his friends introduce the girls to a series of adventures, including a ride aboard the extraordinary Cat Bus, in this all-ages animated masterpiece[.]

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, Waterworks Cinema, Chartiers Valley Luxury 14, and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville, North Hills, and Robinson. Tickets are available online: the shows on the 25th, 27th, and 29th are dubbed in English, while the shows on the 26th and 28th are in Japanese with English subtitles.

French film Return to Seoul to play in Pittsburgh an extra week, March 24 - 29, following March 23 screening at CMU festival.

The 2022 film Return to Seoul will play in Pittsburgh for an additional six days, from March 24 through 29, following its March 23 screening as part of this year's Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival. A quick synopsis:

Set over an eight-year time span, Return to Seoul follows Freddie’s journey back to her place of birth — a country to which she has never been and of which she does not know the language. Freddie, played by first-time actor Park Ji-Min, has never felt at home or comfortable in any setting, which may be why she ventures back to Seoul. Over the course of the eight years, Seoul, the city, and Freddie, its citizen, evolve with each new encounter. A story driven through change, Return to Seoul invites audiences to look closely at the experience of adoption, integration, and what it means to be “from” somewhere.

It will play at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map) and tickets are available online.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Swordsmith Village- (「鬼滅の刃」上弦集結、そして刀鍛冶の里へ) continues in Pittsburgh through March 22.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Swordsmith Village- (「鬼滅の刃」上弦集結、そして刀鍛冶の里へ), which opened in Pittsburgh on March 3, will continue here through (at least) March 22. Writes Cruncyroll:

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Swordsmith Village-, distributed by Aniplex of America and Crunchyroll, is a feature-length cut of Episodes 10 and 11 of the Entertainment District Arc and the extended Episode 1 of the upcoming Swordsmith Village Arc in 4K with remastered audio.

And a synopsis, from the distributor:

After his family is viciously murdered, a kind-hearted boy named Tanjiro Kamado resolves to become a Demon Slayer in hopes of turning his younger sister Nezuko back into a human. Together with his comrades, Zenitsu and Inosuke, along with one of the top-ranking members of the Demon Slayer Corps, Tengen Uzui, Tanjiro embarks on a mission within the Entertainment District, where they encounter the formidable, high-ranking demons, Daki and Gyutaro.

It continues at the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online.

Slam Poetry with Asia Samson, March 23 at Pitt-Johnstown.

The University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Program Board will present Slam Poetry with Asia Samson on March 23.

Since 2009, The Asia Project has toured over 2000 colleges with an acoustic music poetry act that has amazed audiences all over the country. On the microphone is Asia Samson: writer, poet and part-time ninja. He has been seen on HBO Def Poetry Jam and has shared the stage with such artists as Janelle Monae, Jill Scott, DMX, Mos Def, Dead Prez and KRS-One. Accompanying him on the guitar is his brother-in-law Jollan who uses music to create an atmosphere that brings poetry to emotional levels you would never expect. They have been featured on HBO Def Poetry, Button Poetry, TEDx, NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest, SoFar Sounds, Story Conference, and Entrepreneur’s Organization. They have worked with companies such as the US Military, Nokia, Disney, To Write Love On Her Arms and AEvolve. They have broken college-booking records for the most booked poetry act in the college market garnering them the awards of APCA College Performer of the Year and thrice APCA Spoken Word Artist of the Year.

The event starts at 8:00 pm in the Student Union at UPJ.

2021 Taiwanese film Goddamned Asura (該死的阿修羅) in Pittsburgh, March 25, part of this year's Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival.

The 2021 Taiwanese film Goddamned Asura (該死的阿修羅) will play in Pittsburgh on March 25, part of this year's Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival.

Taiwan's official selection for the 95th Academy Awards, Goddamned Asura presents youth, violence, and the consequences of a digital world. Following what is seemingly a senseless act of violence, the film traces the histories of six people and their connection to the event. The film questions our relationship with digital media. Is it a tool of obsessive distraction or an agent of change? What can we expect from a youth generation that views the world as absurd and untenable? Goddamned Asura forays into the social issues that flood our TV screens, a disquieting parallel to the stream of flashing lights that characterize the film.

It starts at 7:30 pm on the CMU campus, in McConomy Auditorium, Jared L. Cohon Center, and includes Q&A sessions and a reception.

Q&A and Discussion with director Lou Yi-An and actress Wang Yu-Xuan

Moderated by Kun Qian, Professor of Modern Chinese Literature and Film, University of Pittsburgh

Reception catered by FUKU and Many More Asian Supermarket

"Aesthetic Capitalism in the United States and Japan, 1870s-1930s," March 20 at Pitt.

The Department of History and the Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh will present Dr. Ai Hisano and her talk "Aesthetic Capitalism in the United States and Japan, 1870s-1930s" on March 20.

Aesthetic Capitalism: a mode of capitalism that rested on, and was fueled by, creating and appealing to sensory and emotional experience. In analyzing aesthetics as a social process, rather than a design feature of commodities, this talk explores how aesthetic capitalism emerged and ow it altered people's aesthetic experience in the United States and Japan from the 1870s to 1940s.

It will be held from 4:00 to 5:30 pm in 3703 Posvar Hall (map) and is free and open to the public.

Lecture: Asia Pop Lecture Series: K-Pop Online Fan Cultures, March 28 at Pitt.

The Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh will host Dr. Jade Kim and her talk "K-Pop Online Fan Cultures" on March 28. Part of this semester's "Asia Pop Lecture Series: Fan Cultures", Dr. Kim's talk starts at 6:00 pm in 5201 Posvar Hall.

Poet Paul Tran at Pitt, March 28.

The University of Pittsburgh's Writing Program will have several events around visiting poet Paul Tran on March 28, open to the Pitt community. From their official site:

Paul Tran is the author of the debut poetry collection, All the Flowers Kneeling, published by Penguin. Their work appears in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Best American Poetry, and elsewhere. They earned their BA in History from Brown University and MFA in Poetry from Washington University in St. Louis. Winner of the Discovery/Boston Review Poetry Prize, as well as fellowships from the Poetry Foundation, Stanford University, and the National Endowment for the Arts, Paul is an Assistant Professor of English and Asian American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Events on the 28th include:

All events are open to members of the Pitt community

• 12pm Lunch and Q&A in CL 501
• 2pm Craft Workshop in CL B50
• 6pm Reading and book signing CL B50

Please reach out to Diana K Nguyen with any questions at dianakhoi@pitt.edu

2023 Chinese movie Full River Red (满江红) in Pittsburgh, from March 16.

The 2023 Zhang Yimou film Full River Red (满江红) will play in Pittsburgh from March 16.

12th century China, during the Song Dynasty, set against a brewing rebellion by the Jin people against the Imperial Court. Two hours before a crucial diplomatic meeting between the Song Prime Minister Qin Hui and a high level Jin delegation, the Jin Ambassador is murdered. An important letter destined for the Emperor is stolen from him. As the search for the letter unfolds, alliances are formed, secrets are revealed, and no one can stop the truth that is destined to leave its mark in history.

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

French film Return to Seoul in Pittsburgh, March 23, as part of Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival.

The 2022 film Return to Seoul plays in Pittsburgh on March 23 as part of this year's Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival. It plays on March 23 at the Harris Theater downtown (map), 7:30 pm, and includes a Q&A session and reception afterwards. A quick synopsis:

Set over an eight-year time span, Return to Seoul follows Freddie’s journey back to her place of birth — a country to which she has never been and of which she does not know the language. Freddie, played by first-time actor Park Ji-Min, has never felt at home or comfortable in any setting, which may be why she ventures back to Seoul. Over the course of the eight years, Seoul, the city, and Freddie, its citizen, evolve with each new encounter. A story driven through change, Return to Seoul invites audiences to look closely at the experience of adoption, integration, and what it means to be “from” somewhere.

The evening also includes:

Q&A and Discussion with director Davy Chau, writer Laure Badufle, & Katie Ozbek, Director of Korean American Adoptee Adoptive Network

Moderated by Andy Lee, PhD Candidate in Film and Media Studies, University of Pittsburgh

Special Performance by K-Pop Dance Club, CMU
And a reception catered by The Boonseek and Sumi's Cakery.

The festival opens on March 16 and runs through April 2, and has several films from Asia or with an Asian connection.