Michael J. Dennis is a Philadelphia-based independent filmmaker, promoter, and media host who has dedicated his career to the collection and curation of Black cinema. A graduate of both New York University's Tisch film school and the American Film Institute Conservatory, Dennis has produced both narrative and documentary films since the 1990s (sometimes under the moniker "Mike D."), often examining Black creatives or cultures around the Philadelphia area. His directorial works include: Who Is Chris Rock (1989), the earliest documentary profile of the famed comic before his stardom; Philly Boy (2002), a feature about self-made recording artist Joey B. Ellis (aka M.C. Breeze); Jazzyfatnastees: In Process (2002), chronicling the vocal duo of Tracey Moore and Mercedes Martinez and their Black Lily woman-centered music series in Philly; Ursula Rucker: Poet (2008), on the acclaimed spoken word artist and musician; and The 13th Amendment (2008), documenting his 90-year-old great-grandmother's travel to vote for Barack Obama in the 2008 Pennsylvania Democratic primary.

Recognizing a lack of infrastructure for Black filmmaking in Philadelphia, Michael Dennis founded Reelblack in 2003 to "educate, entertain, enlighten, and empower through Black film." Its first instantiation, Reelblack Presents (2003-2019), was a monthly series focused on community screenings of Black films both new and old. From 2014-2018, Dennis co-hosted Reelblack Radio with Stephanie Renee on AM station WURD, offering commentary on film and current events and interviews with guests like Bill Duke and Julie Dash. Dennis launched the ReelblackTV channel on YouTube in 2006 as a platform for his personal archive of films, interviews, and music videos. ReelblackTV amassed over one million followers before YouTube demonetized it for "reused content," leading Dennis to found Reelblack Two as an alternate space for showcasing and producing his original work, including a regular podcast with critic and friend Charles Woods. Across its various incarnations, Reelblack has been instrumental in widening popular awareness of and access to Black film history, from early race films, to forgotten Blaxploitation, to obscure TV specials and performances.

In 2026, Dennis began Reelblack Renaissance as a boutique home video label centered on restorations and reissues of otherwise-lost Black film titles. The label's first release was a 6K restoration of Riverbend (Sam Firstenberg, 1989), a rare action thriller and one of the sole starring vehicles for Steve James (1952-1993), depicting a group of Black Vietnam vets who lead the Black residents of a small Georgia town in armed rebellion against their oppressive sheriff.

The Michael J. Dennis Reelblack Archives Collection contains paper, audiovisual recordings, and 3D objects related to Michael Dennis's production and curatorial work. This includes copies of Dennis's own film productions, as well as Black film memorabilia and celebrity-signed ephemera collected throughout Dennis's career. Among the highlights are materials related to Reelblack Renaissance and its restorations, including original production materials, photos, and film elements for Riverbend.