A revolutionary look at the Black American Experience.

The year is 1976. The nation is preparing to celebrate its 200th birthday and all eyes are on the its birthplace, Philadelphia. William Penn’s first colony, Kingsessing, now known as Southwest Philadelphia, has become the last place in the city to be developed in a controversial effort to accommodate the rising black middle class from the late 20th century’s civil rights movements.

But unlike 1776, black families in 1976---like my own family, descendants of slaves---were coming of age in the era of Black Power, re-shaping and re-defining what it means to be American. Fast forward: after America’s first black president, the nation is once again wrestling, sometimes violently, with deeply complex issues of race, power and American identity.

As we approach 2026, another milestone for the country, The Last Philadelphia wonders out loud if we are currently witnessing the twilight of a great nation, or if we are simply witnessing more of the political spasms, upheavals and crises that have shaped and defined America since 1776.

Winner of The Ken Burns/Lavine Fellowship Award.

the last philadelphia 2024

Bio

A former Directing Fellow at the esteemed American Film Institute Conservatory in Hollywood, Carstarphen was also a graduate of Temple University's film program in his hometown of Philadelphia Pa. His work in film has been honored for decades, by organizations such as The Associated Press and The Cannes Film Festival. He began his career as a network television cinematographer and editor, and his work has been seen on ABC, CBS, PBS, and MSNBC.

Based in Dallas, he is married to Susan, a Korean-American artist.

My approach

As an overriding theme for my work, I have always been interested in the clash between idealism, what we believe should happen, and reality, what actually does happen, and the tension between those two states of existence. Whether that clash is in religion, politics, or love, I try to marry the visual and narrative elements of cold realism with allegoric or magical realism. It's a style I have used successfully in all of my independent film work to date.

A Legendary

Artistic Vision.

1995

MEA CULPA

1993

THE WEEKEND OF OUR DISCONTENT

1999

FLMKR

A captivating urban thriller that expertly mixes the thrill of a secret love affair with a compelling whodunit and a touch of ghostly intrigue.

Get ready to dive into a twisted psychological thriller where a Shakespeare-loving professor unravels the mystery behind a student's demise while her own world crumbles around her.

An electrifying noir-style comedy where a determined female independent film director battles the glass ceiling while her pals vanish mysteriously into thin air.

Accolades

ken burns/lavine

fellowship award

2022

Winner for doc feature/series,

The Last Philadelphia

KAFFNY

Korean-American

film festival of

new york 2013

Official Selection for doc short,

The Art of

Susan Sponsler

people’s film festival 2005

Official Selection for sci-fi rom-com Panic Time

cannes film festival forum 2001

Official Selection for feature, FLMKR

Publications and Press