Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair

“Don’t threaten us with a bad time!” Or is it a “good time?” Such was our response when our downward-trodden but lovely friends at Los Angeles’ American Cinematheque approached us last year about taking part in their first expansion of their very popular series, Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair. Unable to participate due to our then-burgeoning 100th year celebration, we’re thrilled to get on board this year. The fifth annual edition in June 2026 expands to nearly 100 theaters across the U.S., Canada, U.K and South and Central America, with each venue presenting its own original curated lineup of uncompromising films defined by unpleasant truths and raw empathy.