2001 Japanese animated film Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) in Pittsburgh, October 17 - 21.

The 2001 Japanese animated film Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し) will play in Pittsburgh from October 17 through 21, part of Studio Ghibli Fest 2026. A synopsis, from the distributor:

Winner of the Academy Award® for Best Animated Feature, Hayao Miyazaki‘s wondrous fantasy adventure is a dazzling masterpiece from one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the history of animation.

Chihiro’s family is moving to a new house, but when they stop on the way to explore an abandoned village, her parents undergo a mysterious transformation and Chihiro is whisked into a world of fantastic spirits ruled over by the sorceress Yubaba. Put to work in a magical bathhouse for spirits and demons, Chihiro must use all her wits to survive in this strange new place, find a way to free her parents and return to the normal world. Overflowing with imaginative creatures and thrilling storytelling, Spirited Away became a worldwide smash hit, and is one of the most critically-acclaimed films of all time.

It plays locally at many local theaters, including the AMC Loews Waterfront, the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson, the GQT Pittsburgh Mills, and the Chartiers Valley Luxury 14 + PTX. Tickets are available online. 

Author Min Jin Lee returns to Pittsburgh November 16 for Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures series.

Author Min Jin Lee will return to Pittsburgh on November 16 as part of Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures Ten Evenings lecture series.

At last, the National Book Award finalist and NYT bestselling author of Pachinko returns with a breathtaking contemporary epic: Min Jin Lee has written a masterpiece by turns sweeping and intimate, one that reckons with ambition and moderation, lust and loyalty, personal dreams and familial loyalty.

In schools and churches, hotel rooms and nail salons, law firms and fried-fish shops; in cramped, dingy apartments and luxury, gated communities, the men, women, and children in American Hagwon struggle to find satisfaction and meaning in a world that seems to grow less forgiving with each passing year.

Stray Kids World Tour 'RUN IT' Live Viewing in Pittsburgh, November 7.

An upcoming concert film Stray Kids World Tour 'RUN IT' live viewing will be held in Pittsburgh on November 7.

For the first time, Stray Kids presents a special live broadcast of ‘Stray Kids World Tour ’ from Tokyo Dome in movie theaters around the globe. True to the tour's title, captures the group's drive to push into bigger worlds and bolder stages. The eight members (Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, HAN, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N) pour out unrelenting energy through explosive choreography and powerhouse vocals, elevating the live experience to its peak. Their stage begins with “Hall of Fame,” a track that expresses Stray Kids’ ambition to write their own history, tracing their musical growth from the very beginning to where they are now. The production is enriched further by dynamic stage setups, traditional Korean performance touches, and spectacular laser lighting, designed to bring the crowd — in the dome and at the cinema — to their feet, singing, dancing and celebrating together.

It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront and the Cinemark theaters in McCandless, Monroeville, and Robinson, and tickets are available online.

YURI!!! on ICE (ユーリ!!! on ICE) in Pittsburgh-area theater, October 19.

Episodes of the 2017 anime series YURI!!! on ICE (ユーリ!!! on ICE) will play in the Pittsburgh area on October 19.

After a devastating defeat at the Grand Prix Final, figure skater Yuri Katsuki returns to his hometown and considers retirement. When five-time world champion Victor Nikiforov unexpectedly offers to coach him, Yuri enters an unprecedented Grand Prix series alongside rising Russian skater Yuri Plisetsky.

Crunchyroll has not confirmed what episodes, or other programming, will be included in the re-release. It is scheduled to play locally, so far, at the AMC Loews Waterfront, and tickets are available online.

Free kids event: Grace Lin, The Little Stone Buddha, November 18 at White Whale Bookstore.

White Whale Bookstore will host a free kids event on November 18, a reading and discussion with author Grace Lin about her latest picture book The Little Stone Buddha.

White Whale is honored to host acclaimed author Grace Lin, a Newbery, Geisel, and Caldecott honoree and creator of such classics as When the Mountain Meets the Moon, The Year of the Dog, and A Big Mooncake for Little Star. Grace will be reading from and discussing her newest picture book, The Little Stone Buddha. She will be in conversation with New York Times bestselling Pittsburgh author, Jonathan Auxier. Ideal for ages 4-8. Please note this event starts at 5:30pm. 

FOUR STARRED REVIEWS! ★Publisher's Weekly ★The Horn Book ★School Library Journal ★Kirkus
A gorgeous picture book about a community coming together to build something beautiful, from award-winning and New York Times bestselling author-illustrator Grace Lin.

When a small stone Buddha falls off a cyclist's wagon, he lands in a neglected part of a busy city street. People often throw trash here, turning this part of the city into a rather unpleasant sight. But as passersby begin to notice the little stone Buddha, they start to wonder: what if we each made a small change that brightened this shared part of our community?

Inspired by a true story, The Little Stone Buddha shows us how a small action—or, in this case, a small Buddha—can change a moment, which can change a decision, which can change the spirit, which can, in the end, change everything.

The event runs from 5:30 to 6:30 pm and RSVP is required. The bookstore is located at 4754 Liberty Ave. in Bloomfield (map).

The Irregular at Magic High School THE MOVIE -Yotsuba Succession Arc- in Pittsburgh, from November 1.

The upcoming compilation film The Irregular at Magic High School THE MOVIE -Yotsuba Succession Arc- will play in Pittsburgh November 1, 3, and 4.

It is the year 2096. Almost a century has passed since magic was established as actual technology. A pair of siblings were about to enter the winter season of their second year in high school. Tatsuya, the older brother, bears a fatal flaw in his magic abilities. Meanwhile, Miyuki, the perfect younger sister, has unmatched magical talent.

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

East Coast premier of 2026 Japanese animated film CHERRY AND VIRGIN in Pittsburgh, November 9, part of Three Rivers Film Fest.

The 2026 Japanese animated film CHERRY AND VIRGIN will play in Pittsburgh on November 9, part of Three Rivers Film Festival.

Erotic manga artist Ryo knows a lot about drawing sex, but when it comes to real life, he hasn’t had much luck. Ami, a “boys’ love” manga artist, is in much the same predicament. The two cynical, 30-ish virgins have all but given up on romance, until they connect through a dating app. As their two worlds collide, so do the distinctive animation styles associated with each character. Will Ryo and Ami be able to move their deepest desires from drawn daydreams into reality?

It will play at 7:00 pm at the Row House Hollywood in Dormont (map) and tickets are available online.

2026 Chinese film Where the Sun Shines Bright (阳光灿烂的地方) in Pittsburgh, November 6, part of Three Rivers Film Festival.

The 2026 Chinese film Where the Sun Shines Bright (阳光灿烂的地方) will play in Pittsburgh on November 6, part of Three Rivers Film Festival.

In an impoverished village in southern China, overpopulation is severe and many children are left alone while their parents are at work. An 18-year-old boy facing the uncertainty of adulthood finds his own story reflected in the lives of four children in the same village. Each of their journeys reflect how they were shaped through their experiences in this coming-of-age anthology..

The film is presented in partnership with SCREENSHOT: ASIA. It plays at 6:30 pm at the Harris Theater in downtown's Cultural District (map) and tickets are available online.

1954 movie Godzilla (ゴジラ) at Row House Hollywood, November 1, 4, and 5.

The 1954 movie Godzilla (ゴジラ) will return to Pittsburgh from November 1, ahead of the debut of the latest in the franchise Godzilla Minus Zero (ゴジラ-0.0) playing in the area from November 5.

Before Godzilla fought Kong or Mothra in 4K, he rose out of the sea and changed sci-fi films forever as an allegory for the follies of a nuclear world. We’re showing the very first film in the iconic franchise. See Ishirô Honda’s original smash hit classic that brought to life the unstoppable dinosaur-like creature hell-bent on destroying Tokyo.

It plays at the Row House Hollywood theater in Dormont November 1, 4, and 5, and tickets are available online. The Row House Hollywood is located at 1449 Potomac Ave. (map), one block south of the Potomac T Station.

Love in Another Big City: An Evening with Sang Young Park, October 22 at Carnegie Mellon.

Carnegie Mellon University's Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics Department and the University of Pittsburgh will present "Love in Another Big City: An Evening with Sang Young Park" on October 22.

Author of Love in the Big City, long-listed for the International Booker Prize, Park writes about desire, friendship and queer life in contemporary Seoul with humor and startling honesty. He will read from his work and talk about writing the city — followed by audience questions.

Presented in Korean with English interpretation. Free and open to the public.

It runs from 5:00 to 6:30 pm in Posner Hall 153.