Michael J. Dennis

Michael J. Dennis (b.

Philadelphia, PA) is an American filmmaker and film promoter.^[1] A graduate of both New York University and The American Film Institute,^[2] his short films and documentaries have won numerous awards and have screened worldwide. In 1999, Dennis founded Reelblack, a full-service production company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[3] In addition to producing work-for-hire, it is responsible for Reelblack TV, an entertainment/newsmagazine originally broadcast on PhillyCAM/DUTV.^[4] Partnered with YouTube

, it has over 5 million views. Reelblack Presents and Soul Food Cinema are monthly film screenings designed to showcase classic films and work by up-and-coming filmmakers that relate to the Black experience. Since 2002, Reelblack has screened and/or promoted over 900 films.

As a filmmaker, Dennis specializes in music-related work, having documented the burgeoning Philly Neo-Soul scene in his films Jazzyfatnastees: In Process (2002), A Taste Of Lady Alma (2004), Kindred: In This Life Together (2006) and the upcoming Last Night At The Five Spot (2011)^[4]. His documentary feature, Philly Boy: A Movie About M.C. Breeze, made its debut at the first annual H2O Hip Hop Film Festival in 2002. His narrative short, Next Tuesday, produced for WYBE-TV in Philadelphia (and later aired on BET) is noted for its early soundtrack appearances by John Legend and Jazmine Sullivan.

In 2008, Dennis won the first ever CNN IReport Film Festival's Jury Prize for The 13th Amendment, a short film about his 90-year-old grandmother getting the opportunity to vote for

New Yorker Magazine^[8]

blogs.

References

^ "Dennis aims for Black film fest". Highbeam.com. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
^ "Michael J. Dennis".
^ "Keeping it Reel | Arts and Culture". Philadelphia Weekly. 2004-01-14. Archived from the original on 2013-01-31. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
^ ^a ^b "Reel People | Screen". Philadelphia Weekly. 2006-11-29. Archived from the original on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
^ "Making a Scene | Cover Story | News and Opinion". Philadelphia Weekly. Archived from the original on 2012-09-19. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
^ "Who Is Chris Rock? Unearthed Video Shows Comic On The Rise (VIDEO)". Huffingtonpost.com. 20 June 2010. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
^ "the comic's comic: 1989 NYU film captures Chris Rock (and his mom!) as a young stand-up just before he got SNL". Thecomicscomic.typepad.com. 2010-04-19. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
^ Zimmerman, Edith (2014-05-16). "See Chris Rock in 1989 - Vulture". Nymag.com. Retrieved 2014-08-10.

External links

[1] "Dennis aims for Black film fest". Highbeam.com. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved 2014-08-10.

[2] "Michael J. Dennis".

[3] "Keeping it Reel | Arts and Culture". Philadelphia Weekly. 2004-01-14. Archived from the original on 2013-01-31. Retrieved 2014-08-10.

[philadelphiaweekly1-4] "Reel People | Screen". Philadelphia Weekly. 2006-11-29. Archived from the original on 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2014-08-10.

[5] "Making a Scene | Cover Story | News and Opinion". Philadelphia Weekly. Archived from the original on 2012-09-19. Retrieved 2014-08-10.

[6] "Who Is Chris Rock? Unearthed Video Shows Comic On The Rise (VIDEO)". Huffingtonpost.com. 20 June 2010. Retrieved 2014-08-10.

[7] "the comic's comic: 1989 NYU film captures Chris Rock (and his mom!) as a young stand-up just before he got SNL". Thecomicscomic.typepad.com. 2010-04-19. Retrieved 2014-08-10.

[8] Zimmerman, Edith (2014-05-16). "See Chris Rock in 1989 - Vulture". Nymag.com. Retrieved 2014-08-10.

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