June 3 – June 7, 2026
Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair is a week-long festival in partnership with the American Cinematheque. The Byrd Theatre Foundation, in partnership with the American Cinematheque, is thrilled to present a weeklong festival that spotlights some of the greatest films from around the world that explore the darkest sides of humanity, as well as some of the bleakest points in human history. A harrowing, yet powerful lineup of films defined by stark imagery, unimaginable tragedies, existential fear, nihilism and shocking acts of brutality, this series features the world’s leading filmmakers who wholly embrace a cinema of despair in pursuit of unpleasant truths and raw empathy.
Join us for Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair, held June 3 through June 7, 2026.
Tickets to go on sale soon.