Submission Rules

Hey filmmakers! We're excited you're interested in submitting to the Santa Barbara Indie Film Festival. Here's what you need to know:

Who Can Submit

We welcome filmmakers from everywhere – whether you're down the street or across the globe. If your film is in a language other than English, just make sure it has subtitles so our audience can follow along. We're looking for films completed within the last 2 years.

NEW for 2026: AI Film Category

We're embracing the future! If your film uses AI as part of the creative process, we want to see it in our new AI Film category.

What counts as an AI film?

If AI was used to create, generate, or make creative decisions in your film, submit it here. This includes:

AI-generated scripts, dialogue, or story elements
AI-generated imagery, animation, or visual effects
AI-generated voices, performances, or characters
AI-generated music or sound design
AI making editing or directorial choices
Any combination of the above – from films with a touch of AI (like AI music) to fully AI-generated works (like Sora 2) are counted as an AI film.

What about regular editing software with AI features?

Don't worry – standard technical tools are fine in all categories. Things like noise reduction, audio cleanup, auto-transcription, and other behind-the-scenes software features that help you execute your vision won't disqualify your film from traditional categories. We're talking about AI as a creative collaborator, not as a technical assistant.

Bottom line: If AI helped you make creative choices rather than just clean up your work, it belongs in the AI category.

The Selection Process

Here's the deal: we'd love to screen every film submitted, but we simply can't. Our programming team carefully reviews each submission and makes tough choices to create the best possible festival lineup. We give special consideration to films that will have their premiere with us, so if you're holding out for the right festival – we hope it's ours!

Special Categories

Youth Films: For our youth category, the filmmaker must be in high school or 18 or under at the time the film was made. This includes all key creative positions – director, cinematographer/DP, animator, writer, and editor. We want to showcase young talent, so no adults in these principal roles, please! Youth films must follow the same AI guidelines as other categories – if AI was used creatively, submit to the AI category instead.

Local Films: Our local category is for Santa Barbara County residents. If you submit as local but aren't an SB County resident, we'll move your film to the appropriate general short film category.

Submission Deadlines

Early Bird Deadline: December 1st, 2025

Promotional Deadline: Jan 2nd, 2026

2nd Promotional Deadline: Feb 3rd, 2026

Regular Deadline: March 4th, 2026

Extended Deadline: April 6th, 2026

Late Deadline: May 7th, 2026

Super Late Deadline: June 9th, 2026

Final Deadline: July 11th, 2026

Notification Date: July 18th, 2026

Prices start at $20 and change depending on category and when you submit your film. Head over to our Submission Portal over on FILMFREEWAY to get more details.

The Legal Stuff

You need to own or have permission for all the content in your film – music, artwork, everything
Submission fees are non-refundable (we know, but it helps us keep the lights on!)
If your film is selected, we'll need a DCP or high-quality digital file for screening
By submitting, you're giving us permission to share your trailer, poster, stills, and synopsis on our website and social media to help promote your film

Questions?

We're here to help! If anything is unclear, don't hesitate to reach out.