Meet Kell Jettson | Creative Director of 86LUCK

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kell Jettson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kell Jettson, how does your business help the community?
I hope people feel seen by the art that we make. I hope that we’re part of a long lineage of creators that normalize a wide breadth of diverse stories and diverse backgrounds. To the point where someday, in the near future, it’s no longer notable, and just the norm. That may seem ironic, and I hope that this reads well haha. But the celebrations of progress made today should cement the steady path for future generations to far exceed what we even dream of imagining. I’ve been really hope-core lately, so yeah, we want our films to do that giant dream kind of thing.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m a filmmaker and creative director at 86LUCK, an art syndicate based here in Houston. We launched 12 short film projects in our first year, and completed the film circuit this summer with our most recent film, “it is now tomorrow”. We’re currently ramping up to produce a larger project later at the end of this year.

There are so many varied, random, and sometimes silly skills I’ve collected in my life. And filmmaking lets me use all of them. Since film is a team sport, I’ve had to learn to become a better collaborator. I needed to get better at doubles tennis, so to speak. So it definitely wasn’t easy. But it does make the wins more fulfilling to be surrounded by good people.

The hardest part about it is learning to work with a village, but the best part about it is being able to work with all the greatest artists in Houston. And I’m as proud of the team’s and collaborators’ growth as I am of any project we make. They’re unsung, unseen underdogs. And I hope to God with a little bit of sweat equity and community, they’ll be able to be a little less underrated. Houston has a lot of talent that shines. Truly, truly.

We’re really just out here striving to make stories that reflect the communities in our city, and Trojan Horse cultural substance into genre-bending films. While also trying to create sustainable avenues for us and the art scenes in Houston to have the infrastructure to go toe to toe with the industries in other cities. You know, easy breezy things.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Let’s get it. I would take them to either Be More Pacific for some Filipino food and karaoke, or Shabu En for Japanese-style hot pot. Play some games at Cidercade. Hit the museum district, especially the Contemporary Arts Museum. And if you’re near the Menil, head to the Cy Thombly Museum.

Matcha at Luce ( I apologize, I love my matcha sweet.) I used to eat Lipton iced tea powder out of the container with a spoon as a kid, and my sweet tooth hasn’t really slowed down since then. So definitely getting the Peach Mango Pie from Jollibee, and some pastries at The Baker’s Son.

Catch some cinema at the Houston Cinema Arts Society Festival. And finally, try to spend no more than $10 on the claw machines at Crabmee Arcade. I’m allegedly quite decent at the claw machine, just don’t ask my friend Tony.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I think I wouldn’t be where I am creatively if it weren’t for the many teachers in my life. So many that I couldn’t possibly name them all, but I’ll try.

Laurel Powell, Marissa Burrows Hataway, Susannah Holmes, Regena Collier, Jennifer Sumrall, Mark Pedroza, Paul Stapleton, Chris Brunt, Chanelle Benz, Irene Guenther, Bill Monroe, Josh Clark, Ryan J Brown, Yi Ma, Paul Fix.

I am forever changed from y’all’s teachings, I believe, for the better.

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