COLLIN COLLEGE AUTEUR FILM SERIES 2025-26
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave presents us with a strange spectacle. Prisoners have been raised in a cave since birth. They are chained to the ground in such a way that they can only look forward. They are not aware that they are prisoners and believe they are free when they are not. Behind them, people carrying puppets walk back and forth in front of a fire. The prisoners do not know these people are there. The puppets cast shadows on the wall. Because the prisoners have never seen anything else, they believe these shadows are reality. Shadows distort the puppets; thus, the prisoners have a highly distorted idea of reality.
We can think of ourselves as the prisoners: Plato’s allegory is as relevant today as it was 2500 years ago -- maybe even more so. Over the course of this year, we will explore a number of films where people confuse shadows with reality. We will explore these films with an eye towards how we think about ourselves, our relationship to the world, and society. And perhaps we will escape the cave a bit.
- Levi Bryant, Guest Director
.....
Each film will be followed by a panel discussion led by Collin College faculty and staff. The series supports the college’s core values of learning, creativity and involvement by engaging students through film and discussion.
All screenings are free and open to the public. Doors open 30 minutes before the film begins. Seating is limited. Some material may not be suitable for all audiences.
THE MATRIX
7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025
McKinney Campus Conference Center
(R, 1999, Lana and Lilly Wachowski, 136 minutes)
In this sci-fi action film, a computer hacker discovers that the reality he knows is a simulated world created by machines to subdue humanity, while their bodies are used as an energy source. He joins a group of rebels to fight against the machines and uncover the truth.
DARK CITY
7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025
Frisco Campus Conference Center
(R, 1998, Alex Proyas, 100 minutes)
In this sci-fi neo-noir film, a man wakes up with no memory in a mysterious city where the sun never rises. As he uncovers the truth, he learns the city is controlled by alien beings who manipulate reality and alter people’s memories.
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025
Frisco Campus Conference Center
(PG, 1946, Frank Capra, 130 minutes)
Presented in partnership with the Cougar Cancer Awareness Team
This classic film centers on George Baily who, during a moment of despair, is shown what the world be like he had never been born, helping him realize the profound impact he has had on others.
GET OUT
7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026
McKinney Campus Conference Center
(R, 2017, Jordan Peele, 104 minutes)
Presented in partnership the Black American Awareness Committee in honor of African American History Month
This psychological horror film tells the story of Chris Washington, who uncovers a disturbing secret while visiting his girlfriend’s family estate and the sinister plot beneath their seemingly warm welcome.
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
7 p.m., Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Frisco Campus Conference Center
(R, 2022, Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, 139 minutes)
Presented in conjunction with the Dignity Initiative in honor of Women’s History Month.
To save reality and reconnect with her family, Evelyn, a laundromat owner, must tap into alternate versions of herself across the multiverse in this sci-fi action film.
MEMENTO
7p.m., Wednesday, Apr. 8, 2026
McKinney Campus Conference Center
(R, 2001, Christopher Nolan, 116 minutes)
Presented in conjunction with Quest: An Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Research Journal
To find his wife’s killer, Leonard, a man with short-term memory loss, uses notes and tattoos to track clues in this psychological thriller told in a non-linear structure.
Levi Bryant
Guest Director of the Collin College Auteur Film Series
Professor of Philosophy
Carolyn Perry
Director of the Collin College Auteur Film Series
Professor of Humanities and Film
The Auteur Film Series is supported by SAFAC and the Academic Affairs and Workforce Division at Collin College.