2025 French-Belgian animated film Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes), set in Japan, returns to Pittsburgh from February 14.

The 2025 French-Belgian animated film Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (Amélie et la métaphysique des tubes) will play in Pittsburgh from February 14 through March 1. 

One of the five films nominated by the Academy of Motion Pictures for Best Animated Feature! 

The world is a perplexing, peaceful mystery to Amélie until a miraculous encounter with chocolate ignites her wild sense of curiosity. As she develops a deep attachment to her family’s housekeeper, Nishio-san, Amélie discovers the wonders of nature as well as the emotional truths hidden beneath the surface of her family’s idyllic life as foreigners in post-war Japan. 

Adapted from Amélie Nothomb’s novel The Character of Rain, this animated odyssey translates the earliest moments of life into lyrical, dreamlike images. Moving beyond a traditional narrative, directors Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han gently explore the wonder and disorientation of childhood. Moments as small as tasting white chocolate, hearing a mother’s voice, and seeing one’s reflection for the first time become epic revelations in this cinematic meditation on memory and its lingering traces. 

It first played locally in November. It returns to Pittsburgh in February at the Harris Theater, in downtown's Cultural District (map), and tickets are available online.

K-pop Demon Hunters Fan Fest, February 22 at Roxian Theatre.

The Roxian Theatre will host K-pop Demon Hunters Fan Fest on February 22.

A family friendly daytime DJ party featuring dance groups, trivia, and sing-alongs.

Doors open at 12:00 pm for the 1:00 pm all-ages show. Tickets go on sale January 30th at 10:00 am. The Roxian Theatre is located at 425 Chartiers Ave. in McKees Rocks (map).

1958 Japanese film Giants and Toys (巨人と玩具) at Pitt, February 4.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will present a screening of the 1958 Japanese film Giants and Toys (巨人と玩具) on February 4, part of this term's Asia POP series of events. A 2021 New Yorker synopsis:

The heartless pressures of corporate life and the giddy wonders of its mass-media creations merge in the Japanese director Yasuzo Masumura’s derisively satirical 1958 melodrama “Giants and Toys” (streaming on Amazon). The story involves three big candy companies and their duelling ad campaigns. Goda (Hideo Takamatsu), a ruthless manager at World Caramels who’s also the boss’s son-in-law, turns an eighteen-year-old taxi dispatcher named Kyoko (Hitomi Nozoe) into the company’s spokesmodel—for a publicity scheme, aimed at children, featuring spacesuits and ray guns—but she fights for independence as her stardom quickly outshines the product. Meanwhile, Nishi (Hiroshi Kawaguchi), Goda’s right-hand man, finds his personal life—his friendship with one competitor and his romance with another—falling prey to intrigues of corporate espionage. Masumura fills the movie’s sleekly modern settings with splashily colorful costumes and knickknacks, and his sharply inflected images exalt the hard-edged forms of industrial design. Yet the turbulent, teeming drama lampoons Japanese society over all—its Americanized habits and the endurance of oppressive traditions, the unreasonable power of nepotism and the pointlessness of rational bureaucracy—and scathingly, sardonically leaves its striving workers no way out.

The event starts at 6:00 pm in 205 Lawrence Hall (map).

2025 Park Chan-wook film No Other Choice (어쩔수가없다) stays in Pittsburgh through (at least) February 5.

The 2025 Park Chan-wook film No Other Choice (어쩔수가없다), which opened in Pittsburgh on January 15 after a one-day early access screening on December 8, will stay here through (at least) February 5.

From director Park Chan-wook and based on Donald E. Westlake's novel THE AX, the story follows Man-su on his desperate hunt for a new job after his abrupt layoff from the paper company he served for 25 years.

It continues at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Manor in Squirrel Hill. Tickets are available online.

Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience, in Pittsburgh from February 4; partnership with StayTiny Pittsburgh at Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill from the 6th

The upcoming concert film Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience will play in the Pittsburgh area from February 4.

Stray Kids : The dominATE Experience is an epic concert film featuring the global K-Pop sensation and their sold-out SoFi Stadium performances, along with behind-the-scenes footage. With more than 30 million albums sold worldwide and a fanbase that spans every continent, Stray Kids : The dominATE Experience will provide fans with a bold, large-scale theater experience, allowing them to see a glimpse behind the curtain of their favorite band.

It is scheduled to play locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront, the Cinemark theater in Robinson, the Waterworks Cinema, Cranberry Cinemas, and the Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill, which is partnering with StayTiny Pittsburgh for its screenings. There is also an Early Access Advance Screening on February 4 at the AMC Loews Waterfront. Tickets are available online.

The Crisis of the Humanities and the Future of Japanese Studies, February 3 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh’s Asian Studies Center and East Asian Languages & Literatures program, the Japan Iron and Steel Federation Endowments at Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics. will present "The Crisis of the Humanities and the Future of Japanese Studies" on February 3. The event is a book launch and conversation with editors Seth Jacobowitz and Jonathan E. Abel of the forthcoming book Modern Japanese Literary Studies.

Join us for a conversation with the two editors of Modern Japanese Literary Studies, a new collaborative volume that reexamines the field at a moment of significant change. Drawing on interdisciplinary and global perspectives, the editors will discuss the book’s key interventions, the evolving place of modern Japanese literature in the humanities and the challenges and possibilities facing the field today.

The event runs from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, both in 4130 Posvar Hall on the University of Pittsburgh campus (map) and remotely (registration required).

A Japanese-language talk "A Discussion on the State of Modern Japanese Literary Studies in Japan" will be held at Carnegie Mellon on February 4, and "Shimazaki Tōson and the History of Methodology in Modern Japanese Literary Studies" with professor Christopher Lowy on February 5.

Asian stationary store DooBoo opens in East Liberty.

An Asian stationary store, DooBoo, opened in East Liberty in December. It is located at 6012 Penn Ave. (map). Their Instagram has a variety of photos and videos, and a post before the soft opening previewed some offerings:

DooBoo’s a small little project run by two cousins hoping to bring some more relaxed joy & mindfulness into their busy lives. sometimes we forget that there’s so much more to life than just existing, so this small brick-and-mortar hopes to share stationery products focused on being mindful about and embracing your inner soul 🧚‍♀️

expect journals, notebooks, planners, pens, highlighters, stickers, memo pads, washi tapes, and more!! oh, and we’ll also try our bestest to support local and national artists and creators because supporting small businesses is a must! ✨ so go ahead and tag your artist friends or favorite artists and support them in their dreams 🌱

Lunar New Year at Phipps, February 21.

Phipps Conservatory and Chinese Association for Science and Technology-Pittsburgh Chapter (CASTP) will present a Lunar New Year celebration and event at Phipps on February 21.

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On Sat., Feb. 21, Phipps Conservatory and The CASTP Organization are proud to present the 29th Lunar New Year celebration, all under Phipps' historic glasshouse! This event will host a variety of food and craft vendors, unique performances and educational resources to learn more about this beloved Chinese celebration. Plus, guests can also experience the lovely Orchid and Tropical Bonsai Show: Blooming with Love during the celebration.

This event is included in regular Conservatory admission. Members and children under two are free.

Schedule of Events

Some tickets still remain for 2026 Greater Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Gala (大匹兹堡地区马年春节晚会), February 7 at Pittsburgh Playhouse.

The 2026 Greater Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Gala (大匹兹堡地区马年春节晚会) will be held February 7 at Pittsburgh Playhouse.

The 2026 Greater Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Gala, presented by the Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center (PCCC), will take place on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at the Pittsburgh Playhouse, PNC Theater. Free cultural activities open to the public will begin at 4:00 PM, followed by the main performances at 6:00 PM.

As the largest and most influential Lunar New Year celebration in the Greater Pittsburgh region, the Gala brings together leaders and audiences from government, universities, corporations, and communities, serving as a key platform for cultural celebration and cross-cultural connection.

Win-Win Kung Fu Culture Center to start Chinese (Mandarin) for Daily Conversation & Kung Fu / Tai Chi class with free trial lesson on February 8.

Squirrel Hill's Win-Win Kung Fu Culture Center will start a new Chinese (Mandarin) for Daily Conversation & Kung Fu / Tai Chi class with free trial lesson on February 8.The coursses will run on Sundays starting February 15.

 Our Chinese (Mandarin) Language Course for Daily Conversation & Kung Fu / Tai Chi Training is starting soon — and we invite you to a FREE trial class on Sunday, February 8, 2026! 

This course focuses on practical Chinese (Mandarin) for daily communication as well as Kung Fu and Tai Chi training, helping students build real-world language skills while deepening their understanding of martial arts practice and culture.

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 What Makes This Course Special

Students learn useful, everyday Chinese (Mandarin) alongside Kung Fu / Tai Chi terminology, commands, and concepts—allowing language to be naturally applied both inside and outside the training studio.

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 Who Is This Course For?

Adults
• Learn Chinese (Mandarin) for daily conversation and martial arts training
• Practice common phrases alongside Kung Fu / Tai Chi terminology
• Explore the cultural background and philosophy behind Chinese martial arts

Teens & Kids
• Learn Chinese through movement, Kung Fu, and Tai Chi practice
• Enjoy games, stories, and hands-on cultural activities
• Strengthen understanding of movements, concepts, and techniques
• Build confidence, focus, and coordination
• Designed to be fun, age-appropriate, and pressure-free

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 Course Highlights

• Daily conversation Chinese (Mandarin) + Kung Fu / Tai Chi training language
• Martial arts culture, stories, and traditions
• Interactive, fun, and hands-on learning
• No prior Chinese experience required
• Class duration: 45 minutes