Donnie Seals Sr. started a daily cycling journey after decades of indulging in a diet of Southern fried foods, smoking, drinking and working a high-stress job that led to three open heart surgeries and confronting his own mortality if he didn’t make drastic changes. Inspired by his father’s new health plan, director Eric Seals picked up a bike and the two began training for a 350 mile ride from St. Louis to Chicago in four days.

The 30th Slamdance Film Festival has announced its complete 2024 lineup, including 32 features, 75 shorts and five episodic titles. Slamdance will take place in-person at Yarrow Hotel in Park City and in Salt Lake City, Utah from Jan. 19-25, and online screenings will be offered on the Slamdance Channel from Jan. 22-28

Donnie Seals digging for it on his 386-mile ride from St. Louis to Chicago. Photo by Tim Schmidt. Beaten up by three heart surgeries in his 40s, Donnie Seals, Sr., made a comeback on a bike. The highlight at 69 years old was the ride from St. Louis to Chicago, and the trek turned into a film, Bike Vessel. More excellent photographs by Tim Schmidt at the end of the story.

CHICAGO — Two documentaries spotlighting the strength and importance of intergenerational connections will premiere this weekend, closing the 59th Chicago International Film Festival with a spin and a dish. “Bike Vessel,” a documentary directed by and starring Eric D. Seals, follows the 35-year-old director as he and his father, now 70, cycle from St. Louis to Chicago.

Eric D. Seals is a Chicago-based director and cinematographer who’s worked on projects from live sports and Netflix documentary series to ads. His directorial debut, Bike Vessel, follows a bike trip he took from St. Louis to Chicago with his father after his dad changed his lifestyle following three quadruple bypass operations. The film is both a funny and touching portrait of a father-son road trip while also commenting on racial health disparities and the systemic racism Black men face.

A great part of any regional festival like the Chicago International Film Festival is the ability to see local talent. This dispatch highlights a few Chicago-set stories covering several genres and styles, from a family comedy to a father-son documentary, a teen slasher, and a short dedicated to communal grief.

CHICAGO — The Chicago International Film Festival is returning for another star-studded year with a Chicago-style kick-off party and a jampacked line-up featuring filmmakers from across the globe.

Bike Vessel, a documentary following a Chicago father-son bicycling duo, will enjoy its world premiere as part of the 59th Chicago International Film Festival, October 11 – 22, 2023.

Bike Vessel is slated to show on October 14, 2023 at AMC NEWCITY 14, with encore showings on October 20 and 21. Tickets can be purchased here.

When local filmmaker Eric D. Seals set out to chronicle his father Donnie’s transformation into a biking enthusiast late in life, he thought he was going to tell a simple inspirational tale. But the Wheaton native soon found himself capturing more than his father getting in better shape. His documentary Bike Vessel plumbs themes such as the chronically poor health conditions of Black men and the bond between father and son.

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.

April 26, 2023 – In celebration of its two-year anniversary and its commitment to support authentic Black content and creators, Comcast NBCUniversal’s Black Experience on Xfinity recently announced the winners of its $1 million in Emerging Black Filmmaker grants. Chicago filmmakers Eric D. Seals and Stefanie Philpott are among the 10 winners.

Netflix and nonprofit organization Ghetto Film School (GFS) announced ten finalists chosen for its year-long nonfiction and directing fellowship. The selected fellows will be placed on unscripted and documentary series in production at Netflix while participating in networking opportunities provided by the program. The ten fellows are Ashley O’Shay, Eloise King, Eric Seals, Maya Cueva, Mohamed Siam, Neha Shastry, Omar Aldakheel, Pia Borg, Tedra Wilson and Xin Li.

In celebration of its two year anniversary and its commitment to support Black content and creators, Comcast NBCUniversal’s Black Experience on Xfinity today announced the winners of its $1 million in Emerging Black Filmmaker grants.

Chicago's Donnie Seals Sr., 69 years old, joins the show to talk about overcoming three open heart surgeries - he underwent starting from the mid 90s up to the final procedure in 2008 - to picking up cycling in 2015. Seals was taking 20 pills per day until he bought his Cannondale after an embarrassing visit to a tennis court where he struggled to return balls to his daughter. In September 2021 Seals and son Donnie Jr. rode 368 miles from St. Louis to Chicago. Their ride was captured by director Eric Seals, who's in the process of editing their forthcoming documentary Bike Vessel (CLICK to visit the site and view the project's trailer). In the intro Wood discusses a recent Vanity Fair article by Jamilah Lemieux about comedian Dave Chappelle. Do you agree with Lemieux's "black ass lie" concept, or is she attacking a black man for a white outlet? And, the problem with getting important information from Instagram. Sports bettors, help support IAP's host Wood's content, by setting up an account at BetUs using promo code JOIN125 (use the hyperlink) for all of your sports wagering needs.

At the age of 67, and after three open heart surgeries, Donnie Seals Sr. has defied the statistics and renewed his lease on life through his new-found passion for cycling. To date, he has logged over 15,000 miles on the road and has inspired his son Eric Seals along with other family members to join him on his journey of living healthy.