Tuesday, August 25, 2026

2026 Korean action horror movie Colony (군체) in Pittsburgh, from August 27.


The 2026 Korean action horror movie Colony (군체) will play in Pittsburgh from August 27.
Horror master Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan) directs a new Korean zombie thriller starring Gianna Jun and Koo Kyo-hwan. Professor Se-jeong (Jun) is thrust into a bloody nightmare when a rapidly mutating virus is released during a biotech conference causing authorities to seal the facility. Trapped inside with no escape, Se-jeong along with a small group of survivors must fight to stay alive while the infected undergo horrific transformations.
It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theater in McCandless, and tickets are available online.
Posted by pennsylvasia at 3:45 PM
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New Chinese computer-animated film All Wishes Come True (八仙) in Pittsburgh, August 28.


The Chinese computer-animated film All Wishes Come True (八仙) will play in PIttsburgh on August 28.
On a wondrous island where mortals and Immortals dwell as one, a legendary vault holds a fortune beyond dreaming. Lü Dongbin and Zhongli Quan have a plan. To crack that vault, these two mortals will pull off the impossible: pose as Immortals themselves. They gather six more misfits along the way: He Xiangu, Tieguai Li, Han Xiangzi, Cao Guojiu, Lan Caihe, and Zhang Guolao. Eight ordinary souls, one extraordinary heist, and death waiting for anyone caught trying to outsmart the heavens. But something far worse is already closing in: a shadow conspiracy that could undo the balance of all things. And our eight bumbling schemers stand right in its path. Inspired by the beloved Chinese legend of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, All Wishes Come True! opens in theaters this summer.
It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.
Posted by pennsylvasia at 2:44 PM
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Korean films Train to Busan (부산행), Colony (군체), and Japanese film Ichi the Killer (殺し屋１) comprise Asian Movie Madness at Parkway Theater in McKees Rocks in September.


Three films will comprise Asian Movie Madness at the Parkway Theater next month: Train to Busan (부산행) on September 5, Colony (군체) on September 12, and Ichi the Killer (殺し屋１) on September 18. Ticket information is coming soon. The theater is located at 644 Broadway Ave. in McKees Rocks (map).
Posted by pennsylvasia at 1:36 PM
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2026 Chinese film Dear You (给阿嬷的情书) in Pittsburgh, from September 3.


The 2026 Chinese film Dear You (给阿嬷的情书) will play in Pittsburgh from September 3.
A debt-ridden grandson travels to Thailand to find the grandfather he believes abandoned their family, hoping the man behind years of qiaopi letters and remittances can help pay his debts. Instead, he uncovers a lifelong act of love and sacrifice. Inspired by overseas Chinese traditions, DEAR YOU has become a breakout success, touching global audiences with its story of family and devotion.
It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and tickets are available online.
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Posted by pennsylvasia at 10:06 AM
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Tuvan throat singers Alash Ensemble return to Pittsburgh, October 15.


Tuvan throat singers Alash Ensemble will return to Pittsburgh on October 15.
ALASH ensemble is a trio of master throat singers (xöömeizhi) from Tuva, a tiny republic in the heart of Inner Asia. The ancient art of throat singing (xöömei) developed among the nomadic herdsmen of this region. Alash remains grounded in this tradition while expanding its musical vocabulary with new ideas from the West.
The group will perform at the First Unitarian Church in Shadyside (map) from 8:00 pm. Tickets are available for purchase in-person at Jerry's Records (Squirrel Hill), Vinyl Remains (Mt. Lebanon), Government Center Records (North Side), and Pleasant Dreams Records (Polish Hill), or online via Humanitix (charges 10% service fee).
Posted by pennsylvasia at 9:33 AM
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"We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes resume at Carnegie Library in Oakland, Saturdays from September 12.


via the Republic of Korea's Flickr page.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh branch in Oakland will resume its free "We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes Saturdays from September 12 through November 14, after its current session concludes on August 29. 
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Posted by pennsylvasia at 4:00 AM
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Monday, August 24, 2026

Tickets for 2026 SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival now on sale.


The lineup for the 2026 SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Fest was announced a few days ago, and tickets are now available online. This year's festival features 13 works, so far, at locations throughout Oakland and downtown. Most relevant to readers of this site are films from Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Korea, China, and the Philippines:
Tickets are free for anyone with a University of Pittsburgh ID and for Carnegie Mellon University students. The festival runs from September 16 through 23.
Posted by pennsylvasia at 3:12 PM
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Seats remain for N1, N3 Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) in Pittsburgh in December; N4 and N5 registration opens later this week.


The University of Pittsburgh will once again serve as a testing site for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) this year, with registration for N1, the highest level, having opened on August 18. There are currently seats available for N1 and N3, though N2 is sold out. Registration for N4 and N5, the lowest level, will open on August 26 and 28, respectively, at 8:00 am EST. The tests will be held on Sunday, December 6, and registration can be completed online.



The test is offered at locations throughout the country, but 2025 was the first time it was offered in Pittsburgh.
Posted by pennsylvasia at 2:13 PM
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Oakland's Mount Everest Sushi closes.


Mount Everest Sushi has recently closed in Oakland after nine years of operation. It opened in April 2017 at 128 Oakland Ave., replacing the popular Sushi Boat and offering (at the time) poke, sushi rolls, sushi tacos, and sushi donuts.
Posted by pennsylvasia at 1:02 PM
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The Yoshida-ryo Dormitory (対話のゆくえ 京都大学吉田寮) named 2026 Japan Documentary Film Award (JDFA) winner.

The 2025 Keizo Fujikawa documentary The Yoshida-ryo Dormitory (対話のゆくえ 京都大学吉田寮) has been named the 2026 Japan Documentary Film Award (JDFA) winner.
We are thrilled to announce this year's winner, the 2025 film Yoshida-Ryo by documentary filmmaker Keizo Fujikawa. Yoshida-Ryo Dormitory explores this centuries-old communal living space where its inhabitants are slated for eviction. Through a colorful array of characters, the film shows the struggles and wonders of living through consensus, as well as the fraught role of interdependence in the contemporary world. As one of our judges notes, "[the film] captures the essence of the universal, fundamental issue of the world we live in by digging deep into a very local, small world. I felt what's happening at Yoshida-ryo is happening everywhere, or it had happened already."
The movie will be screened at an awards ceremony on September 23 at 7:00 pm in 121 David Lawrence Hall on the University of Pittsburgh campus (map) as part of next month's SCREENSHOT: Asia Film Festival. 

He JDFA's official site provides an overview of the award:
The Japan Council of the University of Pittsburgh and SCREENSHOT: ASIA invites submissions every two years for its Japan Documentary Film Award. This biennial prize is awarded to one exemplary documentary film promoting the understanding of Japan and Japanese culture. The documentary should tell us something interesting about Japan and/or speak to Japanese culture, history, social phenomena, practices, or events. The award is available to feature-length films from all countries, and in all languages.

Previous award winners include:

Posted by pennsylvasia at 11:24 AM
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