The Last Philadelphia

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pa. to parents of the Great Migration of African Americans from the South, John Carstarphen graduated from Temple University’s film school. He spent much of his early career traveling the country while working for various broadcast television stations as a cinematographer and planning for a day when he could write and direct his own movies. This dream eventually led him to the nation’s best film school, The American Film Institute Conservatory where he attended as a Directing Fellow. After graduating, he moved to Texas and began working as an independent filmmaker, teaching Cinema production and Screenwriting at SMU and other local colleges, while also shooting commericals. He was the Filmmaker of Record for the world’s largest retailer, Sam’s Club, shooting and editing their documentary-style spots around the world. Carstarphen has also made numerous guest appearances on KERA-TV, Dallas’ PBS station, to discuss the state of independent filmmaking. Based in Dallas, he is married to independent Korean-American artist, Susan.