FILM SERIES
Presented in partnership with the American Cinematheque, ‘Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair’ is an annual film festival showcasing some of the greatest works of cinema from across the globe that venture into the darkest sides of humanity and the bleakest points in human history.
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.
IN THIS SERIES
The Wages of Fear – June 5
BLEAK WEEK | Friday, June 5 at 7:00pm | In a squalid South American oil town, four desperate men sign on for a suicide mission to drive trucks loaded with nitroglycerin over a treacherous mountain route. One of the greatest thrillers ever committed to celluloid, from 1953.
The Mist (Black & White) – June 6
BLEAK WEEK | Saturday, June 6 at 7:30pm | An eerie, unwavering fog descends upon a small town, causing locals to seek refuge in a grocery store from the monstrous creatures roaming the countryside and killing everyone they encounter. Based on the story by Stephen King, and written and directed by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Walking Dead).
The Plague Dogs – June 7
BLEAK WEEK x WORLD OF ANIMATION | Sunday, June 7 at 7:00pm | Two dogs escape from a laboratory and are hunted as possible carriers of the bubonic plague, in Richard Adams and Martin Rosen’s adult-animation follow-up to Watership Down.
Werckmeister Harmonies – June 8
BLEAK WEEK | Monday, June 8 at 7:00pm | A naive young man witnesses an escalation of violence in his small hometown following the arrival of a mysterious circus attraction in this modern art-house mesmeric parable of societal collapse by Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky.
Mysterious Skin – June 9
BLEAK WEEK | Tuesday, June 9 at 7:30pm | Two young boys both experience a traumatic event which affects their lives in different ways: one becomes a sexually adventurous hustler, while the other retreats into an alien abductions obsession. A new 4K restoration of Gregg Araki’s unconventional, provocative classic.
The Vanishing – June 10
BLEAK WEEK | Wednesday, June 10 at 7:30pm | Rex and Saskia, a young couple in love, are on vacation. They stop at a busy service station and Saskia disappears. After three years and no signs, Rex begins receiving letters from Saskia’s abductor.
Presented in partnership with
Established in 1984, the American Cinematheque is a member-supported 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural arts organization dedicated to building an engaged film community through immersive film curation, conversation, and presentation.
The American Cinematheque celebrates the movie-going experience at the core of its mission. Since it first began showing films in theatres in 1985, the American Cinematheque has provided a wide range of film programming, with both new and repertory cinema, hosting screenings, panels and special events with thousands of filmmakers and luminaries.
The Cinematheque showcases over 1,600 screenings per year; it connects the filmmaker to the audience and film history to its future. Presenting in 35mm, 70mm, rare nitrate, and state-of-the-art digital.
For more information visit americancinematheque.com.
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