aespa: World Tour in Cinemas in Pittsburgh April 24 and 27.

The concert film aespa: World Tour in Cinemas, featuring Korean pop group aespa, will play in Pittsburgh on April 24 and 27.

Global hitmaker aespa's first concert movie bursts onto the screen in cinemas worldwide! From February to September 2023 the group’s first world tour, aespa LIVE TOUR 2023 SYNK : HYPER LINE, visited 21 venues across four continents. Now, step into the final chapter of their global tour journey with aespa: WORLD TOUR in cinemas. Witness the unparalleled energy of aespa’s live performance captured from their electrifying show at London's O2 Arena, their first-ever UK show. With their futuristic stage visuals, high-energy choreography and captivating vocals, they fiercelycommanded the stage delivering fan favourites including ‘Next Level’, ‘Savage’, ‘Girls’, ‘Spicy’ and ‘Black Mamba’. The film also highlights individual performances by each member, complemented by exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews, offering a glimpse behind the curtain.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online.

Miyazaki film The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか) remains in Pittsburgh-area theaters through (at least) March 27.

The 2023 Hayao Miyazaki film The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか), which opened across Pittsburgh-area theaters on December 7, will continue in local theater throughs (at least) March 27. A synopsis of the movie, from the distributor:

Hayao Miyazaki's first feature film in 10 years, The Boy and the Heron is a hand-drawn, original story written and directed by the Academy Award®-winning director. Produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki, the film features a musical score from Miyazaki's long-time collaborator Joe Hisaishi. The theme song for the film "Spinning Globe" was penned and performed by global J-pop superstar Kenshi Yonezu.

. . .

A young boy named Mahito
yearning for his mother
ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead.
There, death comes to an end,
and life finds a new beginning.


A semi-autobiographical fantasy
about life, death, and creation,
 in tribute to friendship,
from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.

It continues to play locally at AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theater in Robinson, and tickets are available online.

2024 Vietnamese movie Mai, Vietnam's highest grossing film of all time, in Pittsburgh from March 21.

The 2024 Vietnamese movie Mai will play in Pittsburgh from March 21.

Restlessly haunted by the past, Mai is greeted by a new dawn when she reluctantly befriends the neighborhood ladies’ man. But when her yesterday catches up to her today, what will become of her tomorrow? Starring Phuong Anh Dao and Tuan Tran, directed by Tran Thanh, produced by Tran Thanh Town and CJ HK Entertainment, with a North American & European release by 3388 Films.

It plays locally at the AMC Classic South Hills Village and tickets are available online.

New Korean movie Exhuma (파묘) in Pittsburgh, from March 22.

The new Korean movie Exhuma (파묘) will play in Pittsburgh from March 22 through 27.

When a renowned shaman (KIM Go-Eun) and her protégé (Lee Do-hyun) are hired by a wealthy, enigmatic family, they begin investigating the cause of a disturbing supernatural illness that affects only the first-born children of each generation. With the help of a knowledgeable mortician (YOO Hai-jin) and the country’s most revered geomancer (CHOI Min-sik), they soon trace the affliction’s origin to a long-hidden family grave located on sacred ground. Sensing an ominous aura surrounding the burial site, the team opts to exhume and relocate the ancestral remains immediately. But as something much darker emerges, they soon discover what befalls those who dare to mess with the wrong grave.

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

2024 Chinese film YOLO (热辣滚烫) continues in Pittsburgh through March 27.

The 2024 Chinese film YOLO (热辣滚烫), which opened in Pittsburgh on March 7, will remain here through at least March 27.

Le Ying (played by Jia Ling) has been staying at home for many years, doing nothing in particular. After graduating from college and working for a while, Le Ying chooses to withdraw from society, closing herself off from social circles, which she believes is the best way to "reconcile" with herself. One day, after several twists of fate, she decides to live life in a different way. In cautiously venturing into the outside world, Le Ying meets boxing coach Hao Kun (played by Lei Jia-Yin). Just when she thinks life is about to take a positive turn, the challenges that follow far exceed her imagination, and her vibrant life is just beginning..

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

Oscar-nominated 2023 Japanese + Wim Wenders film Perfect Days remains in Pittsburgh through March 24.

816 《BIG》 Movie Screening + Director's Talk 電影放映會+魏德聖導演座談會, March 31.

The Pittsburgh Taiwanese association will present 816 《BIG》 Movie Screening + Director's Talk 電影放映會+魏德聖導演座談會 on March 31 at Carnegie Mellon University.

Join Pittsburgh Taiwanese Association for this special film screening, featuring an in-person Q&A with Director Wei Te-Sheng!

Doors open at 9:00 and the movie starts at 9:30 am in the McConomy Auditorium in the Jared L. Cohon University Center. Tickets are available online.

University of Pittsburgh Japanese Student Association Matsuri, March 24.

The University of Pittsburgh Japanese Student Association will host its spring Matsuri on March 24, from 4:00 to 9:00 pm in the William Pitt Union's Lower Lounge (map).

🧺🌸 PITT JSA MATSURI 🌸🧺

Join us for Pitt JSA’s annual spring festival! From delicious food 🍙 to awesome vendors like Origami PGH and amazing live performances 🎤 including guest performer Mei Semones 💕You won’t want to miss out!

Matsuri will take place on March 24th from 4-9PM in WPU lower lounge, so bring your friends and join us for an unforgettable experience — hope to see you there!! 🌸

In the meantime keep an eye out for our Matsuri countdown 👀🙌🏼

Tickets now available for Studio Ghibli Fest 2024, bringing 14 animated Japanese films to Pittsburgh April through December.

Dates and Pittsburgh-area showtimes were recently announced for the 2024 Studio Ghibli Fest, running from April through December nationwide. Many of the films are ones that routinely play here, while others selections almost never do: 

• Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) - April 27-May 1
• Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ) - May 19, 21
• Castle in the Sky (天空の城ラピュタ) - May 20, 22
• The Secret World of Arrietty (借りぐらしのアリエッティ) - June 9, 11
• When Marnie Was There (思い出のマーニー) - June 10, 12
• Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫) - July 13-17
• Ponyo (崖の上のポニョ)- August 3-7
• Whisper of the Heart (耳をすませば) - August 25, 27
• The Cat Returns (猫の恩返し) - August 26, 28
• Howl's Moving Castle (ハウルの動く城) - September 26-October 3
• Kiki's Delivery Service (魔女の宅急便) - October 26-30
• Pom Poko (平成狸合戦ぽんぽこ) - November 24, 26
• The Tale of Princess Kaguya (かぐや姫の物語) - November 25, 27
• My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ) - December 7-11

Among films that seem to play here multiple times a year are others that rarely do. Pom Poko played here in 2010 and 2018, Arietty in 2016 and 2019, Whisper of the Heart in 2019, and When Marnie Was There in 2015.

Tickets are now available online for the movies that will typically play at the AMC Loews Waterfront; the AMC Classic Westmoreland; the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monaca, Monroeville, and Robinson; and though not announced yet, they are also likely to play at the Waterworks Cinema. Some screenings are dubbed in English while others are in Japanese with English subtitles.

SUGA | Agust D Tour 'D-Day' The Movie in Pittsburgh-area theaters, from April 10.

The upcoming concert film SUGA | Agust D Tour 'D-Day' The Movie, with Suga of Korean pop gropu BTS, will play in Pittsburgh-area theaters from April 10.

The eagerly awaited film of BTS SUGA’s Encore Concert bursts onto the big screen worldwide! As the grand finale of the world tour, “SUGA | Agust D TOUR ‘D-DAY’ THE FINAL” marked the culmination of 25 concerts held in 10 cities, which captivated a total audience of 290,000 throughout its run. Experience the pulsating energy and excitement of “D-DAY’ THE FINAL” on screen, everything from the exquisite sounds traversing the boundary between “21st Century Pop Icon” BTS member SUGA and solo artist Agust D, electrifying performance, explosive energy, to special duet stages featuring fellow BTS members RM, Jimin, and Jung Kook.

It plays locally on April 10, 11, 12, and 13 at---on varying days---the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson, and tickets are available online.

Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival opens today at Row House Lawrenceville, with special focus on Japanese horror.

The Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival opens today at the Row House Lawrenceville, with nearly 20 feature films plus a lengthy list of collaborations and special events. This year's special focus is Japanese horror, but the lineup also includes anime, drama, and classic films. The festival runs through the 28th, and the single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler St. (map).

After another slight delay, Wei Lai set to open March 18 in the North Hills, serving dim sum, bubble tea, and other Chinese dishes.

Wei Lai has just announced a March 18 soft opening, a slight delay from its originally-announced date of March 12 and its second date of March 16. It's a restaurant serving dim sum, bubble tea, and other Chinese dishes coming to the spot formerly occupied by Ting's Kitchen in McIntyre Square just off McKnight Road (map). Its Instagram page has been active the last month in promoting is upcoming menu items.

2024 Chinese film YOLO (热辣滚烫) continues in Pittsburgh through March 20.

The 2024 Chinese film YOLO (热辣滚烫), which opened in Pittsburgh on March 7, will remain here through at least March 20.

Le Ying (played by Jia Ling) has been staying at home for many years, doing nothing in particular. After graduating from college and working for a while, Le Ying chooses to withdraw from society, closing herself off from social circles, which she believes is the best way to "reconcile" with herself. One day, after several twists of fate, she decides to live life in a different way. In cautiously venturing into the outside world, Le Ying meets boxing coach Hao Kun (played by Lei Jia-Yin). Just when she thinks life is about to take a positive turn, the challenges that follow far exceed her imagination, and her vibrant life is just beginning..

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

Screening of 1929 silent film Piccadilly, starring Anna May Wong, April 16 at Pitt.

Silent Asia, part of the Screenshot: Asia programming organization at the University of Pittsburgh, will present a screening of the 1929 silent film Piccadilly, accompanied by musicians AppalAsia and Tom Roberts performing the original soundtrack.

A screening of E.A. Dupont's 1929 silent film Piccadilly, starring Asian American icon Anna May Wong. The screening will be musically accompanied by local musicians, Appalasia and Tom Roberts. Come immerse yourself in their original score and experience one of early Hollywood's finest stars at her finest.

The event starts at 6:30 pm in 125 Frick Fine Arts (map).

Asia Pop Lecture Series: Dr. Thomas Baudinette, March 20 at Pitt.

The University of Pittsburgh's Asian Studies Center will host Dr. Thomas Baudinette for the next installment of its Asia Pop Lecture Series on March 20.

Dr. Thomas Baudinette is Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies and International Studies at Macquarie University. A cultural anthropologist, his research primarily explores how popular media and fandom culture inform knowledge about gender and sexuality across East and Southeast Asia. He is the author of Regimes of Desire: Young Gay Men, Media, Masculinity in Tokyo (University of Michigan Press, 2021) and Boys Love Media in Thailand: Celebrity, Fans, and Transnational Asian Queer Popular Culture (Bloomsbury, 2023). He i currently working on his third book, tentatively titled Queer Fantasies of Asia: Japanese and Korean Media Fandom in the Philippines.

The event starts at 6:00 pm in 202 Frick Fine Arts (map).

"We Learn" Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Korean classes resume at Carnegie Library in Oakland, Saturdays from March 16 through May 18.

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 March 16. 

K-pop event | Random Play Dance with FRESA and Yanlai Dance Academy, March 23 at University of Pittsburgh.

Fresh Entertainment by Student Artists (FRESA at Pitt) and Yanlai Dance Academy will team up for the next Random Play Dance at the University of Pittsburgh on March 23. 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the William Pitt Union patio and all are welcome.

Oscar-nominated 2023 Japanese + Wim Wenders film Perfect Days remains in Pittsburgh through March 21.

The 2023 Japanese film Perfect Days, directed by Wim Wenders, which returned to Pittsburgh from February 22, will continue here through at least March 21. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, the movie first played in Pittsburgh in November.

Hirayama seems utterly content with his simple life as a cleaner of toilets in Tokyo. Outside of his very structured everyday routine he enjoys his passion for music and for books. And he loves trees and takes photos of them. A series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past. A deeply moving and poetic reflection on finding beauty in the everyday world around us.

It plays locally at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill tickets are available online.

2024 movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Hashira Training (鬼滅の刃 柱稽古編) stays in Pittsburgh through March 20.

The 2024 movie Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Hashira Training (鬼滅の刃 柱稽古編), which opened in Pittsburgh on February 22, will stay here through at least March 20.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba -To the Hashira Training- will feature “A Connected Bond: Daybreak and First Light” (Episode 11) from the Swordsmith Village Arc, featuring the conclusion of the fierce battle between Tanjiro and Upper Four demon Hantengu, as well as Nezuko's triumph over the sun. Seamlessly followed by Episode 1 of the highly anticipated Hashira Training Arc, featuring the start of training conducted by the Hashira in preparation for the forthcoming final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji, an episode never before seen by audiences.

It plays at the Waterworks Cinema and the AMC Loews Waterfront. Tickets are available online; please note, some shows are in Japanese with English subtitles while others are dubbed in English.

Japanese animated films Rascal Does Not Dream double feature in Pittsburgh, March 24 and 25.

Two 2023 Japanese animated films, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out (青春ブタ野郎はおでかけシスターの夢を見ない) and Rascal Does Not Dream of a Knapsack Kid (青春ブタ野郎はランドセルガールの夢を見ない) will play in Pittsburgh on March 24 and 25 as a double feature. The films adapt volumes eight and nine, respectively, of the manga series. Wikipedia provides a general overview of the manga series:

High school student Sakuta Azusagawa's life takes a turn for the unexpected when he meets teenage actress Mai Sakurajima, dressed as a bunny girl, wandering through a library and not being noticed by anyone else there. Mai is intrigued that Sakuta is the only one who can see her, as other people are unable to see her, even when she is dressing normally or attempting to stay away from celebrity life. Calling this phenomenon "Adolescence Syndrome", Sakuta decides to solve this mystery, while continuing to get closer to Mai and meeting other girls who suffer from "Adolescence Syndrome" as well.

It is scheduled to play locally at many local theaters including: the AMC Loews Waterfront; the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monaca, and Robinson; the Pittsburgh Mills Cinema; and the Phoenix Theaters Chartiers Valley Luxur 14 + PTX, and tickets are available online. The March 24 shows are in Japanese with English subtitles while the March 25 ones are dubbed in English.