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 change, earth stewardship, human potential, and personal growth.
*The completion date of your film must be January 1st, 2024 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 the original language with legible English subtitles.
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 2026.
*Must not have been scheduled for public broadcast or commercial theatrical engagement (in-theater) in the US prior to August 15, 2026.
*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 2025 (except Retrospective submissions).
EPISODIC SERIES:
*Must be a World, International, or US Premiere at IFF 2026.
*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 August 15, 2026.
SHORT FILMS:
*Must be no longer than 35 minutes in total runtime.
*Must be at minimum a Santa Barbara Premiere at IFF 2026.
*Preference will be given to films that have NOT been available to the public through public broadcast, SVOD, or TVOD.
Contact Information
For questions or technical issues, please contact the Festival at programming@illuminatefilmfestival.com or visit www.illuminatefilmfestival.com.
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.
