Newly relocated to Santa Barbara for its 10th year, ILLUMINATE is the world's leading film festival for conscious cinema. Our 2024 festival theme, "Movies Make Movements Happen," is inspired by the late physicist David Bohm's theory of the holomovement and supported by the social movement of the same name. Essentially, radical collaboration in action.

Our 2024 Holomovement-inspired curation categories are Science & Spirituality, Consciousness, Social Action/Sacred Activism, Environmental Stewardship & Regeneration, Self-Realization for Social Transformation, Evolutionary Arts, Indigenous Wisdom, Wholistic Health & Wellness, and Discovery of Collective Purpose (from Me to We).

In addition to showcasing narrative features, documentaries, episodic series, and shorts in the genre of transformational entertainment, ILLUMINATE partners with filmmakers to catalyze movements that change consciousness and elevate humanity.

ILLUMINATE is a landmark event and global hub for spreading enlightened ideas. The festival has featured special guests including Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Ram Das, Joe Dispenza, Gregg Braden, and Michael Beckwith, among others. ILLUMINATE has worked with Warner Brothers and New Line Cinema and has brought other industry guests representing Kino Lorber, Abramorama, Zeitgeist, Gaia, and others directly to the filmmakers through the annual IFF Filmmaker Accelerator which features industry programs, filmmaker labs, mentoring, and pitch sessions. ILLUMINATE’s Film Screenings include Filmmaker Q&As, Filmmaker Panels, and Reel Integration events, pairing films with interactive, transformative workshops.​​​​​

By submitting to IFF, you acknowledge your willingness to have your film considered for screening within either a virtual, live, or hybrid film festival scenario.

Note: ILLUMINATE also has a year-round Virtual Screening Platform that brings films and panels to a global audience. If our programmers believe that your film would lend itself to a focused event screening outside of the festival, we will reach out to you directly to assess your interest.

Audience Award for Best Feature Film
Audience Award for Best Short Film
The Evolutionary Award, a $5K cash prize for an outstanding, paradigm-shifting documentary
The HoloMovie Award, a $5K cash prize presented to a film that most exemplifies the principles of the Holomovement
Director's Choice Award
The Artist-Activist Award, a $5K cash prize to an artist who is also an activist -- to donate to a charity of their choice.
Audience Choice (Year-Round Virtual Screening Series)

ALL SUBMISSIONS:

*Films must be in the genre of transformational entertainment, including inspirational human journey stories and themes related to wellness, mindfulness, science and spirituality, social action and earth stewardship, and human potential and personal growth.

*Completion date of the film must be January 1st, 2022 or later.

*One film per entry fee. Entry fees are non-refundable.

*Initial submissions should be submitted as online digital links, please make sure a password is included if necessary.

*Films submitted must be available in English or in the original language with legible English subtitles.

JURY COMPETITION FEATURES (DOCS + NARRATIVES)

*Must be 50 minutes or longer in total runtime.

*Must be a World, International or US Premiere at IFF 2024.

*Must not have been scheduled for public broadcast, commercial theatrical engagement, DVD, DVD, SVOD or TVOD in the US prior to April 15, 2024.

NON-JURY COMPETITION FEATURES (DOCS + NARRATIVES)

*Must be 50 minutes or longer in total runtime.

*Preference will be given to World, International, and U.S. premieres, but must be at minimum a Santa Barbara Premiere at IFF 2024.

*Must not have been scheduled for public broadcast or commercial theatrical engagement (in-theater) in the US prior to April 15, 2024.

*Preference will be given to films that have NOT been available to the public through virtual theatrical engagement, public broadcast, SVOD, or TVOD. (Must not have been offered free online)

*The film’s world premiere must not have occurred before September 2022 (except Retrospective submissions).

EPISODIC SERIES:

*Must be a World, International, or US Premiere at IFF 2024.

*May submit up 120 minutes of content.

*Must not have been scheduled for public broadcast, commercial theatrical engagement, DVD, DVD, SVOD or TVOD in the US prior to April 15, 2024.

SHORT FILMS:

*Must be no longer than 40 minutes in total runtime.

*Must be at minimum a Santa Barbara Premiere at IFF 2024.

*Preference will be given to films that have NOT been available to the public through public broadcast, SVOD, or TVOD.

LEGAL NOTES FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS:

-Entrants give permission to ILLUMINATE Film Festival to use stills, titles, copy, and/or information from the submission for promotional purposes.

-Entrants are responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses, royalties, release forms, clearances, and permits necessary to present their work. ILLUMINATE Film Festival is not responsible for any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, or royalty infringement related to the work.

-For the Physical Festival: Exhibition format must be a high-quality digital file or Blu-Ray. Further instructions will be sent via email if accepted. For the Virtual Festival: Exhibition Format must be an upload of high-quality digital file through the Eventive platform. Further instructions will be sent via email if accepted.

-Exhibition print supplier shall be responsible for the one-way cost of shipment to ILLUMINATE. ILLUMINATE will return the print to the supplier or to the next destination as indicated by the supplier (Features only). Entry materials and/or Short films other than DCPs will not be returned.

-The Festival is not responsible for damage to or loss of submitted materials incurred by shipping to or from the Festival.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Camilla Becket

    Thank you so much to Andrew Stoneham, Danette, and the Festival Team for being so helpful, kind and for honouring our film. We would do this again in a heartbeat. This is an awesome festival, highly recommended!

    June 2021
  • Sebastian Jobst

    AMAZING film festival. PERFECT communication. GREAT networking possibilities. BEST team ever. HEART OPENING films. I loved it so much being part oft it. I am very honored that our film "Ama'ara - the Song of the Whales" won Director's Choice Award at its WORLD PREMIERE 2021. I just can say: One of my favorite film festivals in the world.

    June 2021
  • Positive, supportive and kind members of the staff really made me want to travel across the globe and visit this unique setting of a film festival but at that time simply wasn't ment to be. However, the future holds many loving surprises as do I memories of this great team and I'm sure we'll meet in person one day. To which I look forward. Thank you for your big support & I wish you full power on your next editions! Sunny greetings from Berlin ☀️

    June 2019