The annual Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival will run from March 14 through March 27 this year, with special opening night screenings of Ghost Cat Anzu (化け猫あんずちゃん).
We are kicking off The 2025 Pittsburgh Japanese Film Festival with a wildly fun new anime film from GKids!
“The film is both outrageously fun and, while largely family-friendly, feels like it genuinely shouldn’t exist: imagine Spirited Away via Viz comic.” – Daily Telegraph
Precocious tween Karin finds herself abandoned by her father in rural Japan. Living in a temple with her grandfather, she meets Anzu, a giant “ghost cat” and notorious layabout tasked with looking after her. Distrustful of her new guardian, Karin sabotages Anzu’s odd jobs for the townsfolk and befriends the eccentric local forest spirits. In an effort to win Karin over, Anzu accidentally makes a deal with the devil, and all Hell breaks loose.
Opening night tickets come with gift bags and other fun surprises to mark the start of our favorite fest of the year!
Ghost Cat Anzu plays at 6:30 and 9:15 pm on opening night.
The full lineup of 17 films is available online. Tickets are available for a variety of special events, too, including "Baby Assassins with an Intro" on March 15, "Sake Tasting with Yojimbo" on March 21, "Ice Cream Fever with Ice Cream Mochi" on March 23, "The Hidden Fortress with Tea Tasting" on March 25, and two screenings of "Closing Night with 13 Assassins" on March 27.
The single-screen theater is located at 4115 Butler St. (map).
