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Justin Wiese Unveils Post-COVID “Bleak Week” Festival

6/6/2026

Summary

Wiese Launches Bleak Week

Festival programmer Justin Wiese and Esquire Theatre launched the “Bleak Week” festival with American Cinematheque.
Wiese said the festival aims to draw audiences back after COVID and show films needing context.
Seventeen films were selected with Secret Base Cinema, Leontine Cinema Collective and Outer Cinema Cincinnati.
Partners will introduce films while the schedule includes “The Killing of a Scared Deer” (2017) at 7 pm and Ken Camp (1984-85) at 9:20 pm.

Summary

Wiese Fosters Empathy

Justin Wiese says confronting difficult art across film, literature and music sharpens public understanding of social issues.
He notes that watching a challenging movie together in a communal theater creates a shared emotional experience.
He believes that enduring emotions people would rather avoid can make viewers stronger and more educated after the screening.
He frames the festival’s bleak cinema focus as a catalyst for civic empathy rather than mere entertainment.

Summary

Bleak Week Expands

Bleak Week's fifth edition will show 300 movies in 100 theaters.
Michael Cimino’s *Heaven’s Gate* screens with Isabelle Huppert, Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Walken, Sam Waterston.
New York’s Paris Theater screens Sydney Pollack’s 1969 film *They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?* and hosts a $1,500 dance marathon starring Jane Fonda and Bruce Dern, with Azazel Jacobs presenting.
Critics say Ronald Reagan’s election made audiences dismiss *Heaven’s Gate*’s bleak narrative, should be ignored.

History

Historical Context

In November 1980 Michael Cimino’s epic *Heaven’s Gate* debuted with a $44 million budget, prompting United Artists’ financial crisis and a shift away from director-driven projects. Reagan’s 1980 election ushered a conservative climate that critics say dismissed such films. Today, Justin Wiese’s Bleak Week, co-produced with Esquire Theatre and American Cinematheque, revives the movie to confront that historic backlash.

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Wiese Launches Bleak Week

Festival programmer Justin Wiese and Esquire Theatre launched the “Bleak Week” festival with American Cinematheque.
Wiese said the festival aims to draw audiences back after COVID and show films needing context.
Seventeen films were selected with Secret Base Cinema, Leontine Cinema Collective and Outer Cinema Cincinnati.
Partners will introduce films while the schedule includes “The Killing of a Scared Deer” (2017) at 7 pm and Ken Camp (1984-85) at 9:20 pm.

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