Bike Vessel

An African-American filmmaker explores health disparities within the Black community through the lens of his father, Donnie Seals Sr., who almost died after 3 open-heart surgeries. Nearly 20 years later, Seals’ makes a miraculous health recovery after discovering his love for bicycling.

  • Eric D Seals
    Director
    The Takeover, Tulsa Burning
  • Resita H Cox
    Producer
    Freedom Hill
  • Donnie L Seals Jr.
    Producer
  • Cai Thomas
    Cinematographer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    65,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Eric D Seals


Eric D. Seals is a seasoned film director and cinematographer with 10+ years of experience creating and managing feature films, television, and digital content series.

He holds a Bachelor's degree from Murray State University with concentrations in Electronic Media and Business Administration. Eric started his career at ESPN, where he worked as a video editor working on shots such as Sportscenter, Mike and Mike, and First Take. In 2020, he was selected as a Diverse Voices in Documentaries Fellow with Kartemquin Films, and in 2021 he was selected as a Netflix Directing and Producing Fellow. Eric enjoys giving back to the film community by facilitating workshops and has recently become an Adjunct Professor at Depaul University, teaching a course in Sports Documentary Production.

He is the founder and creative director of Digifé, a full-service film production company that focuses on documentaries and social impact stories. Eric and Digife have netted numerous awards, produced a number of commercials and TV shows, and developed various content for different brands.

Eric is developing his fourth film, Bike Vessel, which tells the story of Eric’s dad, Donnie Seals Sr., defying health statistics after having three open-heart surgeries and renewing his lease on life through cycling. It examines health disparities among Black men in America, the group with the lowest life expectancy and highest death rate of any other racial and ethnic group.

For more information on Eric, visit his website at ericdseals.com

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