A room that leans in
Intimate venues instead of anonymous halls — audiences who came on purpose, close enough to see your face in the dark.
INDEPENDENT VOICES WELCOME
Your story belongs here.
your storyFor the bold storytellers. The fresh perspectives. The films only you could make.
A festival built by filmmakers.
SYVFF was founded by working writers, actors, and producers who know what it means to finish a film on faith. We built this festival for the bold storytellers and fresh perspectives — and we intend to treat your film the way you would: with a real audience, a real conversation, and a valley that shows up.
We program six strands of film, and submissions are welcome in every one of them.
Narrative Features
Documentaries
Short Films
Local & Student Films
Music & Arts on Film
Family & Outdoor Cinema
BEFORE YOU SUBMIT
What we’re looking for.
The official rules, fees, and submission window are still being finalized. Until they’re published, here is how we intend to evaluate films.
- Runtime
- Feature-length stories generally run 40 minutes or longer. Anything under 40 minutes is a short — shorts are curated into themed blocks with a filmmaker Q&A after.
- Screener
- A secure online screener (a password-protected Vimeo link, for example) is all we need to start reviewing. Please keep it live through the festival window.
- Language
- Films in English, or any language with English subtitles.
- Premiere status
- Premieres are welcome, never required. Valley and West Coast premieres receive first consideration for marquee slots and opening-weekend placement.
- Works in progress
- Rough cuts can be flagged for early feedback — tell us what’s still missing (color, score, final mix) and what stage you expect to reach.
- Fresh voices
- There is no minimum track record. First features, student thesis films, and micro-budget shorts are all welcome — we judge the film, not the résumé.
HOW IT WORKS
From your cut to our screen.
The planned path every submitted film follows. Each step is confirmed personally with you.
- 01
Prepare
Screener link, a short synopsis, key credits, a director biography, and two or three stills. That’s the whole kit.
- 02
Submit
Share your film through the interest form below once the official window opens — or write to us directly today.
- 03
Review
Our programming team watches every submission end to end. Shortlisted films move to the selection round and a group conversation.
- 04
Selection
Accepted filmmakers hear from us directly, with screening details, hospitality notes, and — if the story fits — a proposed chef and winemaker for a Perfect Pairing evening.
- 05
The festival
Screen for a real audience, sit for the talkback, and stay for the dinner, the wine, and the people who will remember your film.
WHY SUBMIT HERE
A festival that works for the filmmaker.
Independent films rarely get the room they deserve. Here is what we intend to give yours.
A real conversation
Post-screening talkbacks, salons, and workshops, with the valley’s writers, actors, and producers in the seats.
The Perfect Pairing
Selected stories may anchor our signature evenings: your film, answered by a valley chef’s dish and a local winemaker’s pour.
Close to everywhere
Two hours from Los Angeles, one from Santa Barbara, five towns apart from San Francisco — festival days you can drive to and stay for.
THE HOMETOWN LANE
Local & student films get their own stage.
Films from Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County, and student filmmakers receive a dedicated showcase strand, an earlier review track, and a local’s welcome at every event. This festival belongs to its community — if the story grew here, we want it on our screens first.
A Santa Barbara County address or current student enrollment is all the proof needed — tell us in the form below.
EARLY INTEREST
Start with your story.
The official submission window is still being finalized. Share your film below and the programming team will reach out personally when submissions open — your details stay between us.
- Screener link
- Synopsis
- Key credits
- Director bio
- 2–3 stills
FILMMAKER QUESTIONS
Asked and answered.
- When do submissions open?
- The official window, deadlines, and fees are still being finalized. The form below stays open for early interest — we’ll write to you the moment submissions open.
- Is there a submission fee?
- Fees haven’t been set yet. Any fee structure will be announced clearly when the official window opens, and there will be no fee for the local and student lane.
- What happens to my screener link?
- It’s seen only by the programming team, kept private, and never shared, screened publicly, or posted anywhere without your written permission.
- Can I submit more than one film?
- Yes — each film gets its own submission. If you have a short and a feature in the same year, we want to meet both.
- Do selected filmmakers attend?
- We intend to invite selected filmmakers to attend their screening and the pairing evening in person, with hospitality details confirmed personally in the acceptance letter.
- What if my film is still being finished?
- Submit it anyway and flag it as a work in progress. A compelling cut has started conversations at every festival — including ours.