Following the Irish Rover’s February 2025 report that the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center’s (DPAC) Browning Cinema screened several films containing sexually explicit content and themes critical of the Catholic Church, including Babygirl, Conclave, and The Apprentice, the Rover has endeavored to clarify the approval processes behind the screenings.
While questions remain about how films are selected and approved at Notre Dame’s premier performing arts venue, conversations with long-standing partners suggest the process is informal and dictated by a single individual.
DPAC leadership declined to clarify how its film approval process operates or who is responsible for final decisions. While the center’s website outlines procedures for reserving space and hosting events in DPAC, with approval pending event estimate, agreement, and planning meetings, it provides no information about content standards, approval criteria, or oversight for film programming.
The only listed requirements relate to eligibility: applicants must be a university department or a DPAC arts partner, and submissions must be made at least 45 days in advance. Events also require an academic partnership or co-sponsorship, meaning student organizations cannot independently host events without such collaboration.
Since February 2025, DPAC has continued to screen sexually explicit films, including The Substance (2024), Rumours (2024), and The Devil’s Bath (2024), as part of its ongoing cinema programming.
DPAC Executive Director Ted Barron told the Rover in 2025, “For our cinema program, we select a mix of recent critically acclaimed films and classic films” packaged for their “Learning Beyond the Classics” series.
When contacted again this spring about the approval process and specific film criteria, Barron declined to elaborate further. “We have no comment for this inquiry,” Barron wrote, directing the Rover to the DPAC website, which “includes a timeline of the center’s history for reference.”
The Rover contacted Ricky Herbst, DPAC Cinema Program Director, whom multiple sources identified as the primary contact for scheduling and approving Browning Cinema events. Herbst did not respond to multiple requests for comment, including on whether he is the sole decision-maker on film selections, whether others are involved in the approval process, and how Notre Dame’s Catholic mission factors into those decisions.
After DPAC leadership did not provide answers, the Rover contacted several departments and community partners that had scheduled events at the Browning Cinema. The interviews suggest an informal system in which event approval goes through a single point of contact; however, it remains unclear whether Herbst is the sole decision-maker.
The Nanovic Institute for European Studies is a ten-year Browning Cinema partner on a signature European film series with Herbst. Morgan Munsen, Nanovic Institute Senior Research and Partnerships Program Manager, told the Rover, “We have a strong working relationship with Mr. Herbst and a streamlined process of coordinating film selection and cinema access each semester, which involves brainstorming themes and selecting a film series curator well ahead of time.
“[Herbst] is truly the lynchpin, though, as it is his expert work suggesting films and securing rights that allows things to move so smoothly and with such great results.”
The only logistical challenge, Munsen wrote, is “coordinating the timing of the screening, because there are so many interested users (FTT Department, other academic departments, the Browning itself, etc.). However, reaching out early and having an established relationship with [Herbst] help us to navigate this ‘challenge’ without issue.”
Chloe Misner, Artistic Director of New Industry Dance and primary producer of the annual FIELDWORKS Dance Festival at DPAC, told the Rover that her initial entry point to Browning Cinema was simply emailing Herbst with a proposal. “I don’t know if there’s more of a formal process,” she said. Misner continued, “For me, it was definitely just reaching out with an idea and him being open to that,” adding that the collaboration “started organically.”
When asked if there was any consultation with others before approving events, Misner said, “I don’t know if there’s somebody else that [Herbst] runs things through.”
Per Misner, following initial approval, event coordination is typically handled by DPAC Cinema Production Manager Kevin Krizmanich, who manages event logistics such as staging, equipment, and post-screening discussions.
William Donaruma, Head of Production and Professor of Film, Television, and Theater, who taught the Moreau College Initiative film class culminating in a student showcase at Browning Cinema, described a similar experience to Misner. “There really isn’t much to say,” he wrote to the Rover. “I taught the MCI class that made the films and we just scheduled the event with Ricky Herbst.”
The Rover’s previous investigation found that Babygirl, a film featuring explicit sexual content, was screened in partnership with the Department of Gender Studies, which also sponsored a post-screening panel discussion. Such a co-sponsorship suggests departments are aware of standards, yet DPAC has not explained what, if any, content review occurs prior to approval.
DPAC describes itself as “essential to the University’s vision and commitment to become a leader in arts research and creative practice,” welcoming over 100,000 patrons annually.
University film programming is often curator-driven, with either directors or small teams selecting films based on artistic and academic considerations rather than fixed content guidelines. However, at a Catholic institution like the University of Notre Dame, the absence of clearly articulated standards raises additional questions about how or whether the University’s mission informs those decisions, especially as it screens films that directly challenge Catholic teaching.
Long-standing partners who describe the process as smooth also describe it as informal, relationship-driven, and dependent on a single individual, rather than a transparent institutional framework.
Munsen added, “We have nothing but positive things to say about the staff at DPAC—from Ricky and Kevin in the Cinema making our film series a reality, to the ticket office helping us keep track of attendance, to the kind and courteous ushers that help direct audience members.”
To find more information about the 2025–2026 scheduled season of performances and films, visit the DPAC website.
Lydia Poe is a graduating senior from Kansas City. Three Italian cinema classes later, she can now predict the fight scene, doomed romance, and inevitable tragic end within minutes. If you have Dallas, Nashville or DC recs, she’s your girl, well, until lpoe01@saintmarys.edu officially expires.