The Essential List: Jason Felstead
Jason Felstead started out in the film industry as an outsider. With a background in fine arts and industrial design he started out as a producer. Having played leading roles in international production company networks, Jason Felstead and partner and friend Ruben Goots decided to join forces in 2015 to develop a high-level production company focused on creativity and humanity and so HAMLET, the production company where talent finds a home, was founded.
Throughout the years, Jason collaborated with top-of-the-game directors such as Ian Pons Jewell, Ben Strebel, Jaco Van Dormael, Reynald Gresset, Henry Scholfield and Karim Huu Do to name but a few. Jason has an eye for and an ambition to develop emerging young talent and was particularly honoured when young director Angelo Cerisara was awarded with the 2021 Shots Creative New Director of the Year Award with a campaign he directed for HAMLET.
Lifestyle
o Place of birth: Uccle
o Hometown: Linkebeek
o Staycation: Retranchement, Netherlands
o Vacation: Les Landes
o Pet: Gin, dog, 12yo
o Place of work: Hamlet, in the best part of Brussels
o Place of workout: A swimming pool
o Mode of transport: When it’s sunny my electric scooter
o Bonus travel essential: Magazines are essential when I travel
Culture
o Artist: Nicolas Party
o Musician: David Bowie
o Commercials / music video director: Chris Cunningham
o Film director: Starkovsky, Fellini, Chazelle, Sorrentino…
o Photographer: Harry Gruyaert
o Film: I have loads but will choose one which made me cry: I, Daniel Blake by Ken Loach. And more recently I enjoyed Babylon, an ode to the film business.
o Series: Beef
o Commercial: “Where to begin?”… Jonathan Glazer’s Guinness and Chris Cunnignham’s Gucci Flora, Xbox Life is Short of which I don’t remember the director’s name and Frank Budgen’s PlayStation Mountain. And finally, the campaign that inspired us when searching for an appropriate name: Happiness is a Cigar Called Hamlet.
o Music video: Childish Gambino, directed by Hiro Murai.
o Video game: I don’t play video games
o Board game: Monopoly
o Book: George Orwell, 1984
o Graphic novel: I’m a fan of Jérémiah and Van Hamme’s work in general. We can be proud of our Belgian graphic novel heritage.
o Podcast: I enjoy listening to Joe Rogan.
o Newspaper (off or online): Courrier International, Bloomberg
o Magazine: Monocle, ID, Wallpaper, National Geographic
o Bonus culture essential: Vice, Director’s Library, Artsy, Dazed, High Snobiety and many more.
Food and Drink
o Breakfast: A banana, a glass of mineral water and a coffee
o Restaurant: Beaucoup Fish, Brussels
o Cheap bite: Snack Taksim, Linkebeek
o Working lunch: Anything Asian and healthy-ish
o Favourite dish: Poulet Flambé de chez Confucius
o Signature dish: Lamb and pork boulettes with figs in a spicy sauce
o Snack: Snickers. I never eat them, but I love them
o Guilty pleasure: Chocolate fondant cake
o Bar: Chez Franz and Café Des Minimes
o Booze: Moscow Mule
o Not booze: Flat white with oatmilk
o Bonus food: Scampi curry Rouge at Noi
o Bonus beverage: Samahan tea
Kit
o Phone: iPhone 13
o Computer: Apple Macbook Pro
o TV: Samsung
o Headphones: Bose
o Camera: Contax T2 analogue, but I hardly use it
o Soundsystem: Sonos
o Pen / pencil: Caran D’Ache 849, matte black with the Hamlet logo on it of course
o Where you document an idea: Notebook
o Casual clothing: Jeans and nice shirts
o Smart clothing: Three-piece suit
o Footwear: Sneakers (and smart shoes by Church)
o Watch: I have one, but I never wear it
o Collection: I like art
o App: 1st DIBS
o Website: www.hamlet.tv
o Favourite social media feed: IG
o Digital work tool: My phone
o Analogue work tool: Leuchtturm 1917 notebook, dotted. Again: with Hamlet branding.
o Morning grooming / makeup essential: Khiel’s daily reviving concentrate.
