Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair
June 12–18
Presented in partnership with the American Cinematheque, Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair is an annual 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 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center joins the fifth annual edition in June 2026 as the festival expands to nearly 100 theaters across the U.S., Canada, UK and South and Central America, with each venue presenting its own lineup of uncompromising films defined by unpleasant truths and raw empathy.
AFI Silver’s original curated lineup features 17 dark, depressing works from some of cinema’s most celebrated auteurs, including Béla Tarr’s immersive seven-hour masterpiece SÁTÁNTANGÓ, Isao Takahata’s devastating GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES and Lynne Ramsey’s raw and deeply poetic RATCATCHER.
Also part of Bleak Week: MISERY and KORCZAK.
Don’t miss our $10 ticket one-day sale from 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. on Friday, April 10!
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