Digifé

4534 S COTTAGE GROVE AVE, CHICAGO, IL, 60653

Digifé is an Emmy Award-winning, Black-owned boutique documentary production company in Chicago, founded in 2012 by cinematographer and director Eric D. Seals. The company's work spans documentaries, brand stories and digital series, drawing on a team with backgrounds in network television, news, photojournalism and the social sciences. Its documentary Bike Vessel premiered at the 59th Chicago International Film Festival and was acquired by PBS's Independent Lens in 2024. The studio has earned a 2025 Chicago/Midwest Emmy, multiple Telly Awards and numerous festival selections, and Seals was a 2022 Netflix Directing and Producing Fellow. The name combines 'Digital' and 'Café.'

Run by: Eric D. Seals — Founder/Director, Natalie Papillon — Director of Operations, Catherine Hoffman — Producer, Donnie Seals Jr. — Editor

Known for: Bike Vessel (feature documentary, PBS/Independent Lens, 2024) · Work for ESPN, BET, PBS, VH1 and the History Channel