First They Came for My College

A film by Patrick Xavier Bresnan

First They Came for My College chronicles the political takeover of New College of Florida after Governor Ron DeSantis stages an unprecedented coup at the state’s beloved public honors college. As students and professors suddenly find themselves on the front lines of a nationwide assault on academic freedom and diversity, the film captures a community fighting to preserve its identity, its values, and its future. What unfolds is both urgent and intimate, a portrait of young people and educators refusing to surrender to a manufactured culture war.

The film is directed by Patrick Bresnan, whose precise, evocative cinematic images have long challenged mythic notions of American life. Bresnan’s work spans award‑winning shorts and features, including The Rabbit Hunt (Sundance, Berlinale; Cinema Eye Honor winner), Skip Day (Directors’ Fortnight Grand Jury Prize), Pahokee (Sundance 2019), and Naked Gardens (Tribeca, IDFA). He also served as cinematographer on the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Boys State. With First They Came for My College, Bresnan brings his vérité sensibility to one of the most consequential education battles in the country, illuminating the human stakes behind a political flashpoint.

Director: Patrick Xavier Bresnan
Writer: Leah Marino, Ivete Lucas
Producers: Holly Herrick, Zackary Drucker, Monique Walton, Heather Courtney

New College professor Amy Reid and students Calypso Camacho and Lindsey Jennings featured in the film are expected to be in attendance for a post-film discussion.

Check out this article by Tallahassee’s own Diane Robert’s in the Florida Phoenix about the film.