Santa Barbara Indie Film Festival (4)

Festival start: 29 August 2026      Festival end: 30 August 2026

SANTA BARBARA INDIE FILM FESTIVAL - a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

A Festival to celebrate the art of Independent & Youth (18 and under) filmmakers.

NEW FOR 2026: AI FILM CATEGORY
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This isn't about replacing traditional filmmaking. It's about expanding what's possible.

For 2026 we're thrilled to announce our brand new AI Film Category! Whether you're experimenting with AI-generated visuals, crafting scripts with AI assistance, or creating entirely new worlds through prompts – we want to see what you're making.

​We're still celebrating the indie spirit, youth voices, and local talent that make our festival special. Now we're also embracing AI as a creative tool and giving filmmakers a place to showcase their innovations.

VIEW SUBMISSION RULES BELOW! Important: Check out our AI guidelines to make sure your film is in the right category!

​Why Submit to SB Indie Film Fest?
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Celebrate Independent Cinema - We're a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to showcasing fearless filmmaking from indie, local and youth filmmakers.
Multiple Categories - Narrative features, documentaries, shorts, youth films, local films, and now AI films.
Awards & Recognition - We are an IMBD listed festival. We also give out Trophies for category winners, plus other special awards and prizes.
Historic Venue - Screen your work at the beautiful Alhecama Theater in downtown Santa Barbara.

Community Connection - Meet fellow filmmakers, industry insiders, and passionate film lovers

Questions?
Not sure which category is right for your film? Curious about our AI guidelines? Want to know more about the festival? We're here to help – reach out anytime!

Screening Fee Shorts: 15$
Screening Fee Features: 15$

The "Best of" each category gets a trophy. Certificate of Excellence for 2nd place and Certificate of Achievement for 3rd place.

Hey filmmakers! We're excited you're interested in submitting to the Santa Barbara Indie Film Festival. By submitting your film, you agree to the terms and conditions below.

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
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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.

The Legal Stuff
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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.

The project must have been finished in the last 2 years.