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About First They Came for My College (2026)
New College of Florida was the first public college to be transformed by a political coup; a blueprint for our new era of unprecedented censorship and political interference in academia. By embedding within the student newspaper, an outspoken professor, and students from all sides of the political spectrum, this verité feature reveals a microcosm of America's culture wars, serving as an essential document for students today. The documentary opens with the "hostile takeover" of New College in January 2023, the run-up to Ron DeSantis's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. DeSantis appoints six ultraconservatives to the school's Board of Trustees, including Christopher Rufo, the right-wing activist attacking Critical Race Theory, and Matthew Spalding, a leader of Project 2025. But conquering a school isn’t the same as running it. The college community mounts a fierce resistance, exposing what they see as the new administration's cruelty, incompetence, and corruption.
Cast & Crew
Patrick Bresnan, Gaby Batista, Ivete Lucas, Kim A. Snyder, Leah Marino, Margaret Brown, Michael Montes, Ross Boucher, Sara Kinney, Steve Phillips, Zackary Drucker
Frequently asked questions
How long is First They Came for My College (2026)?
First They Came for My College (2026) is 1 hr 45 min long.
Who directed First They Came for My College (2026)?
Patrick Bresnan
What is First They Came for My College (2026) about?
New College of Florida was the first public college to be transformed by a political coup; a blueprint for our new era of unprecedented censorship and political interference in academia. By embedding within the student newspaper, an outspoken professor, and students from all sides of the political spectrum, this verité feature reveals a microcosm of America's culture wars, serving as an essential document for students today. The documentary opens with the "hostile takeover" of New College in January 2023, the run-up to Ron DeSantis's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. DeSantis appoints six ultraconservatives to the school's Board of Trustees, including Christopher Rufo, the right-wing activist attacking Critical Race Theory, and Matthew Spalding, a leader of Project 2025. But conquering a school isn’t the same as running it. The college community mounts a fierce resistance, exposing what they see as the new administration's cruelty, incompetence, and corruption.