Dennis Bartok, the son of renowned avant-garde filmmaker and conceptual artist LeAnn Bartok, pursued his passion for the cinematic arts by enrolling in the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts Film program at New York University.
During his time at NYU, Bartok showcased his creative prowess by directing the 10-minute short film "Quarter Til," starring Sean Young and John Heard, for HBO's Cinema Showcase series. Following his graduation, he spent a year working for Robert De Niro's Tribeca Productions in New York, where he honed his skills in the film industry.
From 1992 to 2005, Bartok served as the Head of Programming for the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles, a non-profit organization dedicated to screening foreign, classic, and rare films. Under his leadership, the Cinematheque successfully restored and re-opened the historic 1922 Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and the classic 1940s-era Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.
In addition to his work at the Cinematheque, Bartok has also ventured into screenwriting, selling several spec screenplays to 20th Century Fox and New Line. In 2005 and 2006, he produced and wrote the anthology horror film "Trapped Ashes," which premiered at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival in the Midnight Madness program.
As a film expert, Bartok has appeared as a TV commentator on film history for AMC's "Behind the Screen" program and has been featured interviewing directors on various 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.
Bartok is the brother of actor and writer Jayce Bartok and is married to TV and film producer Susan. Together, they have one son, Sandor Ace.
