Sundance Film Festival
Park City, United States
100
Tier AOscarScreenings
Festival dossier
The Script Pipeline First Look Project
United States · Est. 2011 · Established legitimate festival with meaningful track record
Tier BTrusted
United States
65
Legitimacy ScoreShould I submit?
Solid signals — do normal diligence
Tier B looks established enough for many filmmakers. Check fees, programming fit, and recent editions before submitting.
- No physical screenings
- 15 years of verifiable history
- 3 verified pro signals
Overview
The 15th Annual First Look Project searches for higher-concept material across six categories. Screenplay - Action & Sci-fi, Comedy, Drama, and Horror & Thriller TV Pilot - Hour and Half-hour original pilots Unlike Script Pipeline's Screenwriting and TV writing contests, entries for First Look are judged on both writing ability and market potential, in addition to the originality of the concept. For this particular contest, your script might need a bit of refining and still have a great chance to win if we feel the story itself could stand out in the current landscape. Ideally, we want first look at the next buzzworthy specs before hitting the market. Over $8 million in screenplays and pilots have been sold by Script Pipeline writers as well as numerous scripts produced since 1999, a notable list that includes studio films Stuber by Tripper Clancy (Fox), Snow White and the Huntsman by Evan Daugherty (Universal), and the indie film Untitled Home Invasion Romance, released in 2026. Pipeline Screenwriting finalist Bring Me Back by Crosby Selander sold to Legendary in 2020 for seven figures—one of the all-time biggest spec sales by an unproduced writer. Helen Gaughran's winning horror script Visitation was produced, starring Olivia Cooke (House of the Dragon) and Isla Johnston (The Queen’s Gambit), releasing soon. And over the past 25 years, writers have signed with multiple top managers and agents, landing with reps at Bellevue, UTA, Kaplan/Perrone, XYZ Management, IAG, Alibi Management, and more following Script Pipeline development and introductions. View notable success stories: https://scriptpipeline.com/success-stories More on the First Look Project: https://scriptpipeline.com/shop/first-look-project
Last updated Sep 27, 2026
Legitimacy Analysis
Positive Indicators (+30 pts)
- 15 years of verifiable history
- 3 verified pro signals
- Verified trusted status
- Legitimacy signals outweigh concerns (3 vs 1)
Red Flags (-15 pts)
- No physical screenings
Trust Signals
Positive Signals
- FilmFreeway Gold festival
- Documented history with archived programs
- Has FilmFreeway community ratings
Festival Details
Founded
2011
FilmFreeway communityGold festival
Avg. rating
3.8/ 5
Reviews
1
Synced 4 days ago
- Filmmaker
Can't recommend enough. Within weeks of my pilot "Power Suit" winning Best Half-Hour I signed with a great manager who is now also developing the show. We attached a veteran showrunner and are currently out to studios. In other words: exactly what you want in a writing contest.
- Filmmaker
Review Festival Review
FilmFreeway reviews are filmmaker opinions, not our score. Cross-check red flags before paying fees.
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At a glance
How scoring works
Scores are calculated from structural indicators: accreditations, physical screenings, award category count, submission frequency, and acceptance rate. Higher scores reflect more verifiable legitimacy signals.
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