Biography

Tom Carter spent 2 straight years backpacking a groundbreaking 35,000 miles across all 33 Chinese provinces, and was named "one of China's foremost explorers" by The World of Chinese magazine. His first book "CHINA: Portrait of a People" (2008, Blacksmith Books, Hong Kong) has been hailed as the most comprehensive book of photography on modern China ever published by a single author. He is also the editor of "Unsavory Elements" (2013, Earnshaw Books, Shanghai), an anthology about foreign expats in China. Most recently, he penned the illustrated biography "An American Bum in China" (2019, Camphor Press, Taiwan). In 2024, Carter entered pre-production to write, direct and produce his first feature film - an 8-year-in-the-making passion project informed by his observations of counterculture and vice in Asia, and inspired by his lifelong love of horror cinema. Tom Carter was born and raised in the City of San Francisco, graduated with a degree in Political Science from the American University in Washington, D.C., and has called China home since 2004.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tom Carter

Born and raised in the City of San Francisco.

Spent 2 straight years backpacking a groundbreaking 35,000 miles across all 33 Chinese provinces, and was named "one of China's foremost explorers" by The World of Chinese magazine. Also spent 18 months backpacking down the length of Mexico, Cuba and Central America.

Lived and worked overseas in Asia for 15 years, with his primary occupations being EFL English teacher, newspaper editor and photojournalist.

Prior to directing Unsavory Elements at age 50, Carter had no other filmmaking or set experience other than enrolling in a few free cinema and acting courses at City College of San Francisco.

Authored a trilogy of critically acclaimed books about his experiences in China: the photographic tome "China: Portrait of a People" (2008); an anthology of essays about expatriate life in the P.R.C. titled "Unsavory Elements" (2013); and an illustrated biography about a mischievous expat Carter knew in Shanghai titled "An American Bum in China" (2019).