Documentary ‘First They Came for My College’ announces Sept. 17 theatrical opening at Hippodrome in Gainesville

A documentary film titled “First They Came for My College” has announced a theatrical release, with Fourth Act Films setting an opening date of Sept. 17 at the Hippodrome in Gainesville, Florida, according to an industry announcement published Aug. 13 by Deadline. The film is directed and produced by Patrick Bresnan.

The documentary centers on a conflict at a Florida liberal arts school that the filmmakers describe as a right-wing “coup” or “hostile takeover,” and Deadline reports that the film presents the dispute as being orchestrated by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. The announcement frames the project as a case study in how political power can reshape institutions, but it does not indicate whether any additional legal or administrative proceedings are directly depicted in the theatrical version.

The Hippodrome announcement positions the film for a traditional theatrical rollout rather than limiting it to festivals or digital platforms, a move that typically broadens public access and can affect box-office distribution plans for documentaries, including the availability of showtimes and engagement events at the venue.

Fourth Act Films, the distributor and production company named in the announcement, is attaching the project to a theatrical schedule in Florida following its production and completion for public viewing. Deadline described the Sept. 17 opening as part of the film’s planned theatrical run, though the published excerpt does not provide further dates in the same line.

Bresnan is credited as both director and producer of the documentary. The project is described by Deadline as documentary filmmaking tied to a specific institutional episode, with the theatrical release suggesting the filmmakers intend to reach broader audiences beyond the niche viewership that sometimes characterizes campus-focused documentaries.

As with many politically charged documentaries, the question of what claims are supported by court records, internal documents, and on-the-ground testimony is likely to be raised by viewers and critics after the theatrical debut. The Deadline announcement, however, focuses on the release logistics and credits rather than on adjudicated findings or the legal status of the underlying dispute.

The Sept. 17 opening at the Hippodrome marks the next concrete step for the documentary, with the film’s broader public reception dependent on audience turnout, critical coverage, and the extent to which theater programming includes post-screening discussions or Q-and-A events tied to the school controversy.