Tickets still available for author Kevin Kwan and his talk "Crazy Rich Asians and the Power of Representation," March 22 at Byham Theater.

via @kevinkwanbooks

Tickets are still available for "An Evening with Kevin Kwan: Crazy Rich Asians and the Power of Representation" on March 22, part of the 2019 Pittsburgh Humanities Festival:

Kevin Kwan’s breakout debut novel, Crazy Rich Asians, has become something of a cultural phenomenon, topping bestseller lists worldwide, spawning two bestselling sequels and inspiring a #1 movie. Also the first romantic comedy from a major Hollywood studio to feature a lead actor and actress of Asian descent, the release of this film is now considered a watershed moment to many Asians and Asian-Americans.

In this interview, Kwan discusses the (unanticipated) cultural impact of his novels and describes how the climate in many industries, particularly entertainment, is already changing. Discussing the wide spectrum and multiple facets of Asians around the world, Kwan also explores the unimaginable wealth disparity rarely discussed.

Now part of a larger conversation, Kwan advocates the need for proper representation in society, as he says, “The more we demystify a culture and people, the more we relate to each other.”

The event starts at 8:00 pm on March 22, 2019 at Byham Theater. Tickets for the talk start at $25 and are available online.

Tickets now on sale for Studio Ghibli Fest 2019, bringing nine Japanese animated films to Pittsburgh from April through December.

Tickets went on sale today for GKIDS' Studio Ghibli Fest 2019, which will bring nine films to American theaters from April through December:

• Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城): April 7, April 8, April 10
• Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ): May 20 and May 21
• Whisper of the Heart (耳をすませば): July 1 and July 2
• Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便): July 28, July 29, and July 30
• My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ): August 25, August 26, and August 28
• The Secret World of Arrietty (借りぐらしのアリエッティ)): September 29, and September 30
• Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し): October 27, October 28, and October 30
• Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫): November 17, November 18, and November 20
• The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語): December 16 and December 18

There will be screenings in Japanese with English subtitles as well as English-dubbed versions. The movies will play at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson.

Tickets on sale today for CMU International Film Festival; Chinese films Girls Always Happy (柔情史), Four Springs (四个春天) part of line-up.

Two Chinese movies will be part of the 2019 Carnegie Mellon University International Film Festival, running from March 21 through April 7: the 2018 drama Girls Always Happy (柔情史) and the 2017 documentary Four Springs (四个春天).

Bae, Kang, Choi, samgyupsal.

Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Bae Ji-hwan (with tongs) was doing some grilling at spring training the other day with infielder Jung-ho Kang (center) and Ji-man Choi of the Tampa Bay Rays (left).

Shaler Area High School Japanese teacher semifinalist for Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year.

The Tribune-Review writes about Steven Balsomico, a Shaler Area High School Japanese teacher, who has been named a semifinalist for Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year.

North Korea Beyond Politics, March 8 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host its final panel session of this North Korean series on Friday, March 8.

Fate/Stay Night [Heaven's Feel] II. Lost Butterfly (劇場版「Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel]」Ⅱ.lost butterfly) in Pittsburgh, March 14.

The next installment of the Fate/Stay Night [Heaven's Feel] trilogy will play in Pittsburgh on March 14.

Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel] II. lost butterfly is the latest installment of the beloved Fate series by TYPE-MOON. Audiences have been waiting for the dramatic and emotional second part of the [Heaven’s Feel] trilogy as our heroes fight for the Holy Grail.

It will play locally, in Japanese with English subtitles, at Southside Works Cinema and the Cinemark theaters in Monroeville and Robinson. Tickets for these 7:00 pm shows are available online.

A Night of Gamelan, April 12 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Gamelan Ensemble will hold its annual A Night of Gamelan on April 12.

The University Gamelan Ensemble (Mus 0690) plays the gamelan music of the Sundanese people, an ethnic group that inhabits roughly the western third of the island of Java. Gamelan refers to a set of predominantly percussion instruments including tuned gongs, metal-keyed instruments, and drums (as well as bowed lute and voice). Gamelan music is played as accompaniment to dance, drama, puppet theater, and martial arts, as well as for concerts of listening music. Gamelan is performed in conjunction with special occasions and to mark important life-cycle event.

The performance starts at 8:00 pm in Bellefield Hall Auditorium (map) and tickets are now available online.

WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) hiring Mandarin-speaking Geography tutors.

Pittsburgh-based Chinese education and consulting company WholeRen Education (美国厚仁教育集团) has announced openings for Mandarin-speaking Geography tutors.

Tickets for Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival, March 29 through April 11, now on sale.

Tickets for the fifth annual Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival at the Row House Cinema went on sale at 10:40 am this morning. The festival features 11 films so far and a number of special events, and runs from March 29's Ramen Fest through April 11.