Sundance Film Festival
Park City, United States
100
Tier AOscarScreenings
Festival dossier
Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards
Santa Barbara, United States · Est. 2021 · Multiple structural red flags — exercise caution before submitting
WarningWatchlist
Santa Barbara, United States
28
Legitimacy ScoreShould I submit?
Pause before you pay
Warning-tier means structural red flags in our data — not a confirmed scam, but submit only with eyes open.
- Name follows 'award mill' pattern (ends in 'Awards')
- No physical screenings
- 1 documented risk signal
Overview
The Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards is a screenplay competition based in Santa Barbara that focuses on feature screenplays, television scripts, and short film scripts rather than a public film showcase. It is notable for emphasizing professional script evaluation, including feedback from industry judges, and for positioning itself as a career-development platform for writers seeking exposure and connections in the film and television industry.
Last updated Oct 4, 2026
Legitimacy Analysis
Positive Indicators (+14 pts)
- 5 years of verifiable history
- 2 verified pro signals
Red Flags (-36 pts)
- Name follows 'award mill' pattern (ends in 'Awards')
- No physical screenings
- 1 documented risk signal
- On watchlist — negative reputation signals detected
Trust Signals
Risk Flags
- AWARD_MILL_NAME
Positive Signals
- FilmFreeway Gold festival
- Has FilmFreeway community ratings
Festival Details
Founded
2021
FilmFreeway communityGold festival
Avg. rating
4.9/ 5
Reviews
495
Synced 19 days ago
- Ian CraineJul 2025
I first engaged with Santa Barbara on one of its monthly "fast" competitions for which you submit only the first ten pages of a script. The reader was most encouraging about my selection so I went to work on recrafting the whole script and submitted that too. It made the semi-finals. I feel Santa Barbara has really revived my writing projects and I am enormously grateful to its organisers. Five stars throughout except the last two only because that is really all part of my future experience.
- Wadell G. Jones Sr.Jul 2025
Overall rating is not done yet but so far I like the analysis they gave on episodes 1& 2 of my screenplay. So I'm grateful for the Quarter finals. Let's wait final decision. Author, Screenwriter, Songwriter, Music Producer: Wadell G. Jones Sr.
- Hyten DavidsonJul 2025
Wasn't sure what to expect at first, but as it turns out-- this is a very cool company creating very cool opportunities. Thanks!
- Thomas PaceJul 2025
This is a great contest. One of my favorites! They do a great job. It’s a thoughtful, well – run contest. They really seem to know what they’re doing!
- Mark OsbornJul 2025
As a first time TV script writer, I was looking for feedback on my two scripts, Nooksack Power & Light Pilot Part 1 and Part 2. I read good things about the SBISA, so I entered and purchased the Academy Analysis for both. They were fast at providing a review. R. Jackson was my analyst who really read my scripts -together- and provided excellent points on what was working well and what needed some tweaking. Also, including some language I might use to market the scripts. Most importantly, R. Jackson really understood my characters, the humor and drama I was going for and even the subtle political satire I had smattered in the scripts. I've since gotten other feedback from a couple other contests, and they just seemed to be some stock answers - a little helpful, but not like Analyst Jackson's. So my conclusion is SBISA is for writers looking to improve their scripts and the cost is worth every penny. Oh, by the way, I buried the lead -- Nooksack Power & Light Pilot, Part 1 was a Quarter Finalist in the SBISA contest and Part 2 was a Semi-Finalist - very exciting! With R. Jackson's feedback, this should improve my scores in future contests.
FilmFreeway reviews are filmmaker opinions, not our score. Cross-check red flags before paying fees.
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At a glance
How scoring works
Scores are calculated from structural indicators: accreditations, physical screenings, award category count, submission frequency, and acceptance rate. Higher scores reflect more verifiable legitimacy signals.
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