Sie FilmCenter joins national ‘Bleak Week’ with a week of cinema’s darkest films

The Sie FilmCenter will host a week of films built around tragedy, dread and human cruelty as Denver Film joins Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair, the American Cinematheque’s annual program of cinema that confronts the darkest sides of human experience.

The series runs June 12–18 at the Sie FilmCenter in Denver. It is the latest edition of Bleak Week and the first to include the Denver venue, which is among nearly 100 theaters worldwide presenting their own curated lineups this year.

Bleak Week began in Los Angeles and remains anchored at the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre, Egyptian Theatre and Los Feliz 3. The 2026 expansion brings the program to dozens of cities across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Latin America. Each participating venue programs its own slate from the broader Bleak Week catalog.

Denver Film’s lineup spans arthouse endurance pieces and harder studio fare. The week opens June 12 with Atom Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter and David Fincher’s Se7en, followed the same day by Michael Haneke’s The Piano Teacher at 12 p.m. and Todd Solondz’s Welcome to the Dollhouse at 3:45 p.m.

On June 13, the Sie FilmCenter’s Scream Screen series presents a “Double Downer” double feature at 7 p.m. pairing Cold Light of Day, directed by Fhiona-Louise, with Fatih Akin’s The Golden Glove.

Lars von Trier’s Dogville screens June 14 at 12 p.m., with Catherine Breillat’s Fat Girl at 3:45 p.m. and Wong Kar-wai’s Happy Together at 6:30 p.m. that evening, with a repeat screening June 17 at 3:30 p.m. Mick Jackson’s nuclear-war drama Threads screens June 15 at 3:30 p.m.

The lineup continues with Mike Figgis’s Leaving Las Vegas and Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners, Jean-Luc Godard’s Weekend on June 16 at 3 p.m., Richard Brooks’s Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and Harmony Korine’s Gummo.

Bleak Week was launched by the American Cinematheque, a member-supported nonprofit dedicated to the theatrical moviegoing experience. The program’s stated focus is films defined by stark imagery, existential fear and acts of brutality, drawn from filmmakers across genres and eras.

Tickets and the full schedule are available through Denver Film.