First They Came for My College – Los Angeles Screenings

“First They Came for My College” is a documentary that exposes the right-wing push to reshape American higher education. The filmmakers follow New College of Florida student journalists, an outspoken professor, and students across the political spectrum. The result is an inside look at the battle over academic freedom and America’s culture wars.

On January 6, 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis staged a political coup of New College, the state’s beloved public honors college. Students and professors were forced to confront a new reality: their campus had become ground zero in an unprecedented nationwide assault on academic freedom, diversity, and public education.

The documentary opens with a quote before introducing New College of Florida (NCF), a Sarasota liberal arts school known for its independent curriculum.

The film goes on to show the run-up to Ron DeSantis’s campaign for the Republican presidential nomination where he appoints six ultraconservatives to NCF’s Board of Trustees, including Christopher Rufo, the activist behind attacks on Critical Race Theory, and Matthew Spalding, a leading figure in Project 2025.

The film is fascinating and will either make you sad, angry or both. Either way, it’s an important film to watch.

The theatrical release, in over 30 markets, kicked off on September 17 at the Hippodrome in Gainesville, Florida. For those who live in the Los Angeles area, there are two screenings this weekend at Vidiots Foundation, followed by a Q&A with director Patrick Bresnan. Click this link for more info: https://vidiotsfoundation.org/movies/first-they-came-for-my-college/.

Student filmmakers include Ellie Jalbuena Cook, Calypso Camacho, Gabriella Batista, Sam Worthington, Chole Rusek, Natalia Benavides and Joshua Janniere.

“First They Came for My College” is open in select theaters.
Visit the “First They Came for My College” website here for more information.
Check out @firsttheycameformycollege on Instagram to get the latest updates.

Disclosure: No monetary compensation was received for this post. This blog post is for informational purposes. I was provided with a digital screener of the movie which helped facilitate this review. Images shown in this post are used with permission. As always, my opinions are 100% my own.