Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards... The screenplay contest where every connection leads to Hollywood.
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  • WRITERS SHOWCASE 2022-23
    • DANIEL S. LEVY
    • SEAN LAWRENCE
    • PREMA ROSE
    • TIMOTHY MICHAELS
    • JOHN BROWN
    • CHAD HUTSON
    • SCOTT THOMPSON
    • MICHAEL D. KENNEY
    • DANIEL PRESSEY
    • CHRISTOPHER BOYCE
    • STEVE SHEAR
    • ANGEL L. MARTINEZ
    • SARAH CALDWELL
    • SEAN McLAUGHLIN
    • A.P. GONZALEZ
    • ROBERT BORREGO
    • RANDY WOODLEY
    • DAVID SANDERS
    • ERNESTINA JUAREZ
    • CATHERINE EATON-DEBORAH RAYNE
    • PETER DE NORVILLE
    • ALYSHA HARAN
    • REENITA HORA
    • MIKE MORERO
    • SARAH KENNEDY
    • TOM FRANEY
    • DORENE LORENZ
    • RICHARD ROSSNER/RAHLA KAHN
    • SAM IWATA
    • Steven R. Berry
    • TONY SCHWEIKLE
    • Virginia Youngren
    • JASON NG
    • NIKKI COLE
    • LYNN ELLIOTT
    • JANE COX
    • JOHN PRATHER
    • TENNESSEE MARTIN INTERVIEW
    • VU MAI
    • Donald McKinney
    • MICHAEL ELLIOTT
    • MICHAEL ELLIOTT
    • GRETCHEN RATCLIFF SAWYER
    • ATTILA KOROSI INTERVIEW
    • AINHOA FERNANDEZ-MARTINEZ INTERVIEW
    • DAN PERO
    • NANCI GAGLIO
    • TERRY PODNAR SCREENWRITER
    • KIMBERLY CHAMPION
    • SANDRA MOONIAS
    • JODIE ANDERS
    • JONATHAN HIGGINS
    • DON WALLACE
    • LOVINDER GILL
    • STEPHEN FLOYD
    • Jeffery Evans
  • WRITERS SHOWCASE
    • MAXWELL THOMAS
    • MELISSA BRIDES
    • LINDSAY MAXOUTOPOULIS
    • ALBERTO DIAMANTE
    • ERIN DONOVAN
    • ANDREI CHAHINE
    • DOUGLAS SPALTRO
    • KATHY FRITZ
    • CANDEE KRAMER
    • BEN PARSONS
    • ANDREW MACQUARRIE
    • JEFF BARKER
    • WILL TURNER BRETT
    • BRYAN MARVIS
    • ELIZABETH APPELL
    • BARRY JAY
    • DAN JOLLEY
    • ELLEN PUFF
    • JONATHAN CANE
    • JOHNNY RUSSELL
    • JOEY MEDINA
    • SUSAN KELEJIAN
    • LAETITIA NGUYEN
    • LYDELLE JACKSON
    • MARK ZASLOVE
    • JUDAH BOSCO
    • LINDA FEDERICO OMURCHU
    • MARK WAKELY
    • STAN RUBAKHIN
    • AE GUAAKER
    • ANTHONY MCBRIDE
    • SUSAN SWEENEY
    • ANDREW CHIARAMONTE
    • BRENDON RICHARDS
    • THOMAS PACE
    • BILL MURPHY
    • STEPH KOWAL
    • PETER DE NORVILLE
    • KEVEN WICKHAM
    • JULIA SONG
    • JOHN ARNAU
    • FELICIA BAXER
    • DAVID RODERICK
    • MATT GALLAGHER
    • LEW OSTEEN
    • ROBBIE ROBERTSON
    • ROBIN CHAMBERS
    • ANDREW SCHERER
    • TIMOTHY KOHN
    • CELINE FOSTER
    • KARLA BRYANT
    • BARRY PUTT
    • CHAD HUTSON
    • DANIEL PERO
    • d.b. RODERICK
    • PAUL HUENEMANN
    • BERL KAUFMAN
    • TAMMY OLSEN
    • SOPHIE NEVILLE
    • NATHAN POST
    • DANIEL PERO
    • STAN LEWIS
    • LYNDA REISS & TARA TREMAINE
    • JAMES MULCAHY
    • ATTILA KOROSI
    • DAVID SANDERS
    • FRANCES MCCOY
    • GILBERT MOORE
  • JOIN THE SHOWCASE
  • Money for Your Movie
  • Free Webinars
    • - Logline Secrets & Pitching to Sell
    • Free Webinar: How to WIN Your Next Screenplay Contest
    • Free webinar: Choosing Career Path-Writing for Movies & TV
  • Writer Testimonials
  • Feedback Analysis Samples
  • Contest Judges
  • Contact Us
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Spring 2025 Competition now OPEN for entries.
​
Paradise for writers...
Where every connection leads to Hollywood.

 
Santa Barbara—where the film industry began—has always attracted Hollywood’s
Leading writers, directors, producers, agents, managers, stage, television, and movie talent.

Hollywood’s decision-makers are in constant search of today's most promising writers...
and they start that search right here​.

Photo of Butterfly Beach in Santa Barbara



​​Home of the famed Santa Barbara International Film Festival* and home to major celebrities...


Featuring Oscar-Emmy-WGA Award-winning judges with vital industry connections.
​

Every word of every page of your script will be read and analyzed by established Hollywood film and television professionals.

*not affiliated
Let us see your script!

The  Spring 2025 Contest now open for submissions.
Featuring the industry's #1-ranked written studio analysis 
by working industry professionals (no unpaid "interns" here!).

Spring 2025 Winning Prize Packages
​
Grand Prize: Best Screenplay, TV Script, or Short Script
​

illustration of notes on screenplay pages in Line Notes at Santa Barbara International Screenplay AwardsPicture
Live Line Notes & Personal Consultation
The only screenplay contest​ where winning feature and TV pilot writers are invited to a Live Line Notes & Consultation session with an award-winning WGA writer-producer.
This is a 60-90 minute personal and private meeting to go over every single page of your script with notes written directly on the pages.
​Winners receive a full PDF of those notes, an in-depth written analysis, and a complete recording of the online video session. ($1000 value)

​

Film strip logo art for Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards
​Feature Screenplay
(all genres)
• Featured promotion on Writers Showcase
• 60-minute 
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.
• Written Studio-grade analysis
• InkTip Pro Membership where you'll be able to pitch directly to production companies.
​• Free account listing at MovieBytes.com
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Logo in black and gold for Santa Barbara international Screenplay Awards
TV Script
(pilot or episode)
• Featured promotion on 
​
Writers Showcase
• 50% Discount for 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.
• Written Studio-grade analysis
​• Free account listing at MovieBytes.com
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short film script logo for santa barbara international screenplay awards
Short Film Script
• Featured promotion on 
Writers Showcase
• 50% Discount for "Line Notes & Live 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.
• Written Studio-grade analysis
• Free MovieBytes.com listing
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photo of female cameraman on movie set at santa barbara international screenplay awards
4 ways to enter...4 ways to win.
​
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writers room meeting at santa barbara international screenplay awards
photo of story notes on bulletin board
Full Reading Contest Entry

Scores & Comments

 Your script is read cover-to-cover by professional analysts
and scored on ten major elements.

Total scores are ranked as Honorable Mention-Quarterfinalist-SemiFinalist-Finalist-Winner .
​Contest entry only; no written feedback provided.
Your script is read cover-to-cover by professional analysts with scoring of key script elements: Concept • Structure • Character • Dialogue • Pacing • Tone • Conflict • Marketability • 
Senior Judges review scores and forward them to you with their brief personalized comments.

​
Photo of story analyst making notes on whiteboard
Your ideas matter on glass door

Writers Room Notes

Academy Analysis

Your script is read by multiple  analysts and forwarded to the Senior Judging Team for evaluation of these critical elements: Concept • Storyline • Characters • Dialogue • Pacing The scores and evaluation are reviewed by Senior Judges who provide you with your score sheet and 3-4 pages of Professional Hollywood Studio Writers Room Notes
Your entire script is read, broken down, and analyzed by multiple professional studio analysts. You receive  5-10 pages of extensive Academy Level Studio Notes covering all 10 primary screenplay elements: Concept • Structure • Characters • Dialogue • Pacing • Tone • Conflict • Emotional Response- Investment • Sales/Marketplace Potential, with specific comments from the Judges.
(This is the most popular option, as it often delivers specific guidelines for bringing material to the marketable level.) 
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What happens to your script when you enter
​The Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards?

photo of houseplant in front of marble block bearing advice to writers
Photo: Hannah Grace/Unspash

​• Your screenplay, TV script, or short feature script is given an exclusive file number and is immediately uploaded into our firewall-protected data portal.
• Once the virus-free integrity of your pdf file is verified, it is then made available to a confidential team of professional reader-analysts with significant industry experience in the evaluation of essential screenplay elements at every genre level.
• There are no unpaid interns or amateur readers involved in our process at any time. 
• Your script is then read from cover-to-cover, word-for-word, and evaluated against professional marketplace standards.
• Scores are assigned; written analysis (far more than "coverage") is then composed, edited, and validated by members of the Senior Judging Panel.


Enter at any feedback level and you're then notified of your scores (no waiting for the contest to end!) via email.
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Why do so many writers trust the judges at 
The Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards?
If you want honest "feedback' of your work, this is where you can get it. (unlike other competitions that fling out opinionated responses and label it "feedback") the Santa Barbara Awards easily eclipses all the other competitions with their Academy feedback. ~~ Terrence Selleck, Reno, NV

"I have entered several projects into the Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards and got great insights and feedback on the first 109 pages each time. I paid extra for the more Writers Room feedback and it was well worth it. Everything here is really a class act.        ~~ Lindsay Coogan, Atlanta, GA
See more unsolicited testimonials here.

Sponsored by​
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Moviebytes.com logo
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Where everyone goes for scripts and writers.



    Want to see samples of our written feedback?
    ​

    We're proud of our work and are eager to show it to you.

    Just let us know and we'll immediately give you the private link to several samples we've recently provided to writers entering The Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards:

Let me see the samples!
photo of movie slate
Photo: Courtesy "Thea" @ Unsplash.com
Photos: Daria Nepriakhina-Campaign Creators-Mika Baumeister-Redd-Thisisengineering-raeng-Etienne Giradet-Jason Goodman-/Christin Hume-Corey Agopian-Iana Andreeva-Hannah Wernecke - Giorgio Trovato-Chase Yi-Christian Joudrey-Cedric Letsch-BP Miller-Anibal Paradisi-Alexander Dummer-Ahmet Yalcinkaya-Alice Dobnovan-rouse-Jared Lisack-Jakob OwensJeremy Besanger-Joel Muniz-Joseph Ngabo-Ian Deng-Marty O'Neill-Roberto Nickson-Venti Views-Dave Hoefler-Don B.-O.C. Gonzalez-Adam BirkettUnsplash.com

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[email protected]

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  • Home
  • Feature Screenplay Contest
  • TV Script Contest
  • Short Script Contest
  • Diverse Writers Outreach
    • Diverse Writers Contest Results
  • Live WGA Consultations
  • Contest Results
  • PROFESSIONAL SHOWCASE
    • DIANE THOMASSIN >
      • DIANE THOMASSIN PROJECTS
    • CATHERINE SCHANDL >
      • CATHERINE SCHANDL PROJECTS
  • WRITERS SHOWCASE 2022-23
    • DANIEL S. LEVY
    • SEAN LAWRENCE
    • PREMA ROSE
    • TIMOTHY MICHAELS
    • JOHN BROWN
    • CHAD HUTSON
    • SCOTT THOMPSON
    • MICHAEL D. KENNEY
    • DANIEL PRESSEY
    • CHRISTOPHER BOYCE
    • STEVE SHEAR
    • ANGEL L. MARTINEZ
    • SARAH CALDWELL
    • SEAN McLAUGHLIN
    • A.P. GONZALEZ
    • ROBERT BORREGO
    • RANDY WOODLEY
    • DAVID SANDERS
    • ERNESTINA JUAREZ
    • CATHERINE EATON-DEBORAH RAYNE
    • PETER DE NORVILLE
    • ALYSHA HARAN
    • REENITA HORA
    • MIKE MORERO
    • SARAH KENNEDY
    • TOM FRANEY
    • DORENE LORENZ
    • RICHARD ROSSNER/RAHLA KAHN
    • SAM IWATA
    • Steven R. Berry
    • TONY SCHWEIKLE
    • Virginia Youngren
    • JASON NG
    • NIKKI COLE
    • LYNN ELLIOTT
    • JANE COX
    • JOHN PRATHER
    • TENNESSEE MARTIN INTERVIEW
    • VU MAI
    • Donald McKinney
    • MICHAEL ELLIOTT
    • MICHAEL ELLIOTT
    • GRETCHEN RATCLIFF SAWYER
    • ATTILA KOROSI INTERVIEW
    • AINHOA FERNANDEZ-MARTINEZ INTERVIEW
    • DAN PERO
    • NANCI GAGLIO
    • TERRY PODNAR SCREENWRITER
    • KIMBERLY CHAMPION
    • SANDRA MOONIAS
    • JODIE ANDERS
    • JONATHAN HIGGINS
    • DON WALLACE
    • LOVINDER GILL
    • STEPHEN FLOYD
    • Jeffery Evans
  • WRITERS SHOWCASE
    • MAXWELL THOMAS
    • MELISSA BRIDES
    • LINDSAY MAXOUTOPOULIS
    • ALBERTO DIAMANTE
    • ERIN DONOVAN
    • ANDREI CHAHINE
    • DOUGLAS SPALTRO
    • KATHY FRITZ
    • CANDEE KRAMER
    • BEN PARSONS
    • ANDREW MACQUARRIE
    • JEFF BARKER
    • WILL TURNER BRETT
    • BRYAN MARVIS
    • ELIZABETH APPELL
    • BARRY JAY
    • DAN JOLLEY
    • ELLEN PUFF
    • JONATHAN CANE
    • JOHNNY RUSSELL
    • JOEY MEDINA
    • SUSAN KELEJIAN
    • LAETITIA NGUYEN
    • LYDELLE JACKSON
    • MARK ZASLOVE
    • JUDAH BOSCO
    • LINDA FEDERICO OMURCHU
    • MARK WAKELY
    • STAN RUBAKHIN
    • AE GUAAKER
    • ANTHONY MCBRIDE
    • SUSAN SWEENEY
    • ANDREW CHIARAMONTE
    • BRENDON RICHARDS
    • THOMAS PACE
    • BILL MURPHY
    • STEPH KOWAL
    • PETER DE NORVILLE
    • KEVEN WICKHAM
    • JULIA SONG
    • JOHN ARNAU
    • FELICIA BAXER
    • DAVID RODERICK
    • MATT GALLAGHER
    • LEW OSTEEN
    • ROBBIE ROBERTSON
    • ROBIN CHAMBERS
    • ANDREW SCHERER
    • TIMOTHY KOHN
    • CELINE FOSTER
    • KARLA BRYANT
    • BARRY PUTT
    • CHAD HUTSON
    • DANIEL PERO
    • d.b. RODERICK
    • PAUL HUENEMANN
    • BERL KAUFMAN
    • TAMMY OLSEN
    • SOPHIE NEVILLE
    • NATHAN POST
    • DANIEL PERO
    • STAN LEWIS
    • LYNDA REISS & TARA TREMAINE
    • JAMES MULCAHY
    • ATTILA KOROSI
    • DAVID SANDERS
    • FRANCES MCCOY
    • GILBERT MOORE
  • JOIN THE SHOWCASE
  • Money for Your Movie
  • Free Webinars
    • - Logline Secrets & Pitching to Sell
    • Free Webinar: How to WIN Your Next Screenplay Contest
    • Free webinar: Choosing Career Path-Writing for Movies & TV
  • Writer Testimonials
  • Feedback Analysis Samples
  • Contest Judges
  • Contact Us