Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards ()

Festival start: 16 March 2023      Festival end: 31 May 2023

In recognition of the current global economic climate and in support of so many writers facing financial challenges, all entry fees will be reduced by 20% for the Winter 2022-23 Competition.

Our #1-ranked professional feedback services and unique prize offerings will remain unchanged as we remain the ONLY screenplay competition established and managed by award-winning WGA writers, producers, show runners, and DGA directors.

This is the ONLY screenplay competition whose senior judging panel has a total of more than 1,000 PRODUCED film and television writing/producing/directing credits.

This is the ONLY screenplay competition offering entries for live online "Line Notes and Consultation".

Santa Barbara--where the film industry began--has always attracted Hollywood's leading writers, producers, agents, managers, stage, television, and movie talent. Featuring Oscar-Emmy-WGA Award-winning judges with vital industry connections. those decision-makers are HERE in search of today's most promising writers.
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Every word of every page of your script will be read and analyzed by established Hollywood film and television professionals. Every entry receives transparent scoring and personalized feedback.

This is the place for the industry's #1-ranked written studio analysis
by working industry professionals (no unpaid "interns" here!).

Cash Prizes: 500$

​Feature Screenplay
(all genres)
• Live "Line Notes & Consultation" with award-winning WGA writer-producer in an informal, private one-on-one session discussing the winning script line-by-line, just as you would in a story meeting with a studio development executive or producer. Invaluable in preparing a screenplay for marketing.
• $500 Cash Prize
• Engraved Winner's Trophy
• Written Studio-grade analysis
• Winners will receive a 4-month InkTip Pro Membership. As an InkTip Pro Member, thousands of filmmakers can find and read your scripts, and you'll be able to pitch directly to production companies every week. With over 3,000 options and 400 movies made, InkTip is the place for independent film.
• Free Listing at SellYourScreenplay.com
​•Free listing at MovieBytes.com

TV Script
(pilot or episode)
• $250 Cash Prize
• Engraved Winner's Trophy
• Written Studio-grade analysis
• Free Listing at SellYourScreenplay.com
​•Free listing at MovieBytes.com

Short Film Script
• $150 Cash Prize
• Written Studio-grade analysis
• Free MovieBytes.com listing

• Screenplay contest material submitted to The Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards is accepted via electronic submission only.​

• Submissions must be in PDF file format, the title ONLY indicated in the PDF file name in upper and lower case (not all CAPS). Submissions as Final Draft or Movie Magic Screenwriter files will not be read, scored, or judged, and will be automatically disqualified.

• All prize monies will be paid to winners via Paypal only. No other payment options (check, bank transfers, money orders, etc.) are available. All prize money recipients must submit valid tax ID (W9 or W8BEN) prior to payment posting.

• There is no limit to the number of screenplay, teleplay, or short film scripts you may submit as individual entries.

• Maximum acceptable page counts: Screenplay=130. TV Script=70. Short Film Script=40. Longer page counts will incur a 25% surcharge.

• Submitted script material must be received by midnight of each deadline date and submission fee payment must accompany your material.

• All entry fees are non-refundable; submissions in any file format other than PDF will be disqualified with no refund.

• All material submitted to these screenplay contests must be original, and all rights must be wholly owned by the writer(s).

• Screenplays and scripts must be submitted by the credited writer or an authorized representative. Screenplays and scripts written by writing teams must be submitted by one of the writers or their representatives, with consent of the other(s).

• All writers must be credited on title page.

• If a screenwriting team is chosen as a winner, prizes will be given to the screenwriter or representative submitting the project. Each team is responsible for dividing or sharing the prize money, with no direction from The Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards Contest administrators, staff, or judges.

• Once submitted, material is promptly assigned to analysts and judges and reading/scoring begins. Revisions, rewrites, addenda, or substitutions of either corrected pages or new drafts of the entered screenplay or script material require a separate entry and entry fee.

• Multiple entries are accepted. Submitting the same script pages for different levels of analysis is fine. In all cases, each entry or request for varying levels of analysis must be entered individually. When multiple levels of analysis are NOT entered individually, only the highest level of analysis will be provided with no refunds for other analysis services.

• By using our service, you authorize us to use any trusted third-party online and cloud-based services and databases for hosting, managing and/or transmitting your submission file(s).

• All copyright, ownership and derivative rights to the material submitted to The Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards contest(s) remains with the original rights holders and/or author.

• By submitting material to the contest, competing writer gives contest administrators permission to promote the competition, any submitted work and the writer by name and/or image to third parties and in any and all media online or otherwise throughout the world.

• Plagiarized or non-original written materials will be disqualified.

• All scores are final and purely at the discretion of the Senior Judging Panel. No warranties are expressed or implied as to the determination of judges or to the scoring or written analysis of any entry.

• Writer acknowledges that any and all written feedback and analysis commentary is objectively presented and intended to be illustrative, instructive, and helpful in guiding the writer along a professional path. Scores and comments are in accordance with current professional film and television industry standards, but writer accepts them as purely subjective pursuant to the judgment and opinion of the individual reader-analyst and agrees not to request, demand, or suggest alternate, different, or revised written feedback; no guarantees of satisfaction on the part of the writer are expressed or implied.

• Once announced and delivered, all prize package items and taxes are the responsibility of the recipient.


Eligibility:


• All screenwriters, without regard to professional or amateur status, age, gender, race, ethnicity, country of origin, native language, political orientation, or sexual preference are eligible.

• The screenplay, television script, or short film script material submitted must be in English.

• All screenplay, television script, or short film script material submitted to other competitions or contests is eligible.

• There are no limitations or restrictions as to date of authorship of submitted screenplay, television script, or short film materials.

• The screenplay, television script, or short film script material submitted must not be encumbered by any obligation to, or option held by, any third party prior to entering the screenplay competition.

• Screenplay, television script, or short film script material should be submitted in standard screenplay format, font, spacing and margin. PDF files only.

• No limitations regarding title page content. Title and name of screenwriter and contact information on cover page is recommended.

The Santa Barbara International Awards senior judging panel includes working entertainment industry professionals; third party companies, organizations, studios, agencies, or management professionals with which they are affiliated are not sponsors of this contest nor are they responsible for its policies, procedures, systems, or operations. Winner announcements will be made within a reasonable period of time following the conclusion of each quarterly submission deadline, generally within 30 days. While judges and administrators are dedicated to the anonymity of submitting writers and work to maintain the highest levels of fairness throughout the reading and judging process, there is no guarantee whatsoever as to the scoring, outcome, or publicity of any submission. We reserve the right to amend contest rules at any time.


COPYRIGHT AND OWNERSHIP


Neither Butterfly Beach Media Inc., The Santa Barbara International Awards LLC nor any other partner, employee or agent associated with these competitions claim any ownership in any original material submitted to us. All ownership and rights to the material submitted remain with the writer claiming authorship of the scripted material. Writer assumes all copyright liability and duties to protect same at any given time.


PUBLICITY


Submission of written materials establishes each writer's consent to The Santa Barbara International Awards to the use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes. By entering this contest or any others with whom The Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards is affiliated, you agree to receive email marketing messages and updates relative to this contest and any affiliated sources and providers from us. You may opt out/unsubscribe from those messages and marketing protocols at any time simply by letting us know at info@santabarbarascreenplayawards.com.We will honor any request to keep the identity of any writer private upon written request. Writers' names will be posted on or website and in media announcements as they are written on any entry forms; misspellings, upper-lower case, punctuation will be replicated as entered (it is suggested that accurate spelling and appropriate use of upper and lower case in first and last names be used). Script titles should not be entered in all capital letters.


REFUND POLICY


Once a script is submitted, administrative processes commence; therefore all fees submitted are non-refundable upon submission of material to any competition period.


SUBMISSION CONDITIONS AND RELEASE


Writers submitting to The Santa Barbara International Awards agree to release and hold harmless The Santa Barbara International Awards LLC, its subsidiary, parent and affiliated companies, judges, screenplay readers, sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising or promoting your submission of material, against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, and to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the The Santa Barbara International Awards and its owners, agents, and employees from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities. SUBMISSION OF MATERIAL IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED or restricted by any Federal, State or Local law. Voided submission fees will be refunded.


NO WARRANTIES


• All assessments, critiques, criticisms, or analyses of submitted material are provided subjectively based upon objective standards as they are applied to the writing submitted and under consideration.

• No warranties are expressed or implied as to the utility, value, or accuracy of statements written or spoken by our reader-analysts with regard to material submitted to us by writers, customers, or contest entrants.

• Comments provided by judges, readers, administrators, or other writers are based upon personal opinion only and do not reflect the opinions of management; management assumes no responsibility for the academic, creative, professional, economic, or emotional impact or consequences of the opinions we provide.

• Submitting writers agree to hold harmless against claims of any and every kind, each and every employee, independent contractor, reader, analyst, system administrator, or officer of the company in perpetuity.

• Material submitted to the competition is solely at the risk of the individual registering, entering, or offering written material for scoring, analysis, judgment, or commentary.

• Once submitted material has been accepted into the competition, it is promptly read, reviewed, analyzed, critiqued, scored, or commented upon by agents, employees, representatives, or management of the company, and no refund of the entry fee will be made.