The American Cinematheque, Los Angeles’s Largest Repertory Cinema Program, Strikes Deals with Independent Theaters Across the Country — Special Guests Robert Eggers and Todd Solondz Announced.
The American Cinematheque, one of the world’s most prominent institutions for revivalist, global and independent film, announced a programming deal with other independent theaters in seven cities on Tuesday. The new theaters presenting the Cinematheque’s “Bleak Week” films include the Music Box Theatre in Chicago, the Hollywood Theatre in Portland, The Trylon Cinema in Minneapolis, The Paris Theater in New York City, the Coolidge Corner Theater in Boston, The Texas Theatre in Dallas and the Prince Charles Cinema in London. In addition to the Cinematheque’s usual Los Angeles theaters — the Egyptian Theater, Los Feliz Theater and Aero Theater, which are some of the city’s oldest repertory cinemas.
The American Cinematheque is a film non-profit organization dedicated to providing public screenings of diverse films, funding restorations of classical films and screening films on 35mm, 70mm and nitrate projections. A special facet of the theater’s offerings includes regularly-hosted Q&A sessions with prominent filmmakers at their theaters in promotion of the tangible cinematic experience.
The Cinematheque describes itself as a “year-round film festival,” offering a number of rotational programs like their “BeyondFest,” “70[mm] Fest” and “Noir City” festival. Of their programs, their “Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair” series sticks out as an especially superb programming lineup, with most screenings selling out yearly. As the Cinematheque describes it, “Bleak Week” aims to “[spotlight] 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.” Last year, their programming lineup included 43 films from 18 countries, including archival prints, premieres of restorations and in-person discussions from filmmakers behind the screened pictures.
Films from last year’s “Bleak Week” included, but were not limited to, “Come and See,” “Hard to Be a God” and Edward Yang’s “Happy Together.” There were also discussions paired with some films screened, such as a double feature of “I’m Thinking of Ending Things/Anomalisa” followed by an in-person discussion with director Charlie Kaufman, “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me” followed by a discussion with star Ray Wise and moderated by Vera Drew and “The Touch” followed by an in-person Q&A with star Elliot Gould.
Although the “Bleak Week” 2025 programming lineup hasn’t been announced, Variety confirmed there would be in-person screenings with Robert Eggers and Todd Solondz in a press release on Tuesday. The festival will premiere in Los Angeles and Chicago simultaneously June 1–June 7, then in Portland and Minneapolis June 6–June 12, then New York, Boston and Dallas from June 8–June 14 and conclude in London June 15–June 21. For more updates on “Bleak Week” screenings, click here.