The Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s (SBIFF) annual 10-10-10 Student Screenwriting and Filmmaking Competition is opening applications for its 2026-27 program year.
SBIFF accepts applications from local high school and college students. A jury of industry professionals reviews submissions and invites selected applicants to interview for a spot in the program that runs late September/early October 2026 – February 2027.
The five-month-long filmmaking program is offered to 20 local students.
‘We pair 10 high school and 10 college students into screenwriter-director duos, and with the help of professional filmmaking mentors, they work together to create 10 films that premiere at the historic Arlington Theatre during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival,” organizers said.
The 2027 SBIFF will take place are Feb. 3 -13. Final films will be screened during the festival at the Arlington Theater on Feb. 13.
“We have also expanded to reach 10 additional college student composers guided by a composing mentor to score each of the 10 films,” organizers said.
SBIFF is also partnered with the American Society of Cinematographers for additional professional workshops and a loaned rental prize camera package for the two winning directing students to use on their next projects.
Participating students work together to bring their creative vision to life, and in so doing, learn skills that translate to better self-esteem, better self-expression, and future job readiness.
“Engaging with art is essential to the human experience, but quality arts education is often the most difficult to access, which is why SBIFF offers 10-10-10 absolutely free to all student participants,” organizers said.
The theme for this year’s 10-10-10 Program is: Freedom of Speech
Application deadlines for the 2026-27 10-10-10 program are: priority deadline, Monday, July 27; final deadline, Monday, Sept. 7.
For more information, and to apply, visit https://sbiff.org/education/10-10-10/.
“During 10-10-10, I experienced some of the most fun, collaborative and challenging moments over four months creating, thinking, and producing a short film,” said Marcus Cavitt, a 10-10-10 College Directing participant in 2025-26.
“Being able to collaborate with my peers and get assistance when needed was so important to my process of making my 10-10-10, and without it, it wouldn’t be the same,” Cavitt said.
“The countless workshops that we were able to attend proved important, and hearing from industry professionals on what we could do better with our films made the experience even better,” Cavitt said.
“This experience allowed me to grow and learn how to be a better filmmaker and to be more confident about my own work. … I encourage all young filmmakers with big dreams to be a part of this program,” Cavitt said.