Dennis Bartok

Cast · Director · Writer

Born

March 1, 1965 · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

The son of noted avant-garde filmmaker and conceptual artist LeAnn Bartok, Dennis graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts Film program. At NYU he directed the 10-minute short "Quarter 'Til" starring Sean Young and John Heard for HBO's Cinema Showcase series. After graduation he worked for one year for Robert DeNiro's Tribeca Productions in New York. From 1992 - 2005 he served as Head of Programming for the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles, a non-profit film organization that screens foreign, classic and rare films. While he was there the Cinematheque restored and re-opened the historic 1922 Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and the classic 1940s era Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. During that time he sold several spec screenplays to 20th Century Fox and New Line. In 2005/2006 he produced & wrote the anthology horror film "Trapped Ashes" which screened as a work in progress at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and world premiered at the Toronto Film Festival that year in the Midnight Madness program. He has also appeared as a TV commentator on film history for AMC's "Behind The Screen" program, and is featured interviewing directors on a number of DVD releases including the "Alien" boxed set with Ridley Scott, "Black Hawk Down" with director Scott and producer Jerry Bruckheimer and "Amelie" with director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. He is the brother of actor/writer Jayce Bartok, and his wife Susan is a TV and film producer. He has one son, Sandor Ace.