Anonymity
Writer identification permitted
2027 Development Track
Sundance's Development Track begins with an application packet and the first five screenplay pages, not a full-script upload. The 2027 application is closed.
Direct answer
The 2027 Development Track application closed May 12, 2026. Its first round required project and applicant information, eligibility questions, short bios and statements, logline, synopsis, rights and AI-use disclosures, and only the first five pages of the screenplay. A complete screenplay was required to apply, but full drafts were requested only from writers advancing to the second round.
Freshness contract
State
Awaiting next cycle
Timezone
America/Los_Angeles
Review again by
Mar 15, 2027
The 2027 application is closed. Second-round notifications are due by August 31, 2026, and final selection notifications by December 15, 2026.
Before the file check
Anonymity
Writer identification permitted
AI policy
AI use disclosure requested
Accepted script type
Work-in-progress fiction feature screenplay
Fiction feature in development
The open track considered work-in-progress fiction features for the Screenwriters Lab, Screenwriters Intensive, and eligible Sloan pathways.
Completed draft
Applicants needed a completed screenplay even though only the first five pages were submitted in round one.
Rights
Adaptations were eligible when the applicant had secured the underlying rights; true-event projects required rights-status context.
First round
The first five screenplay pages, not the full draft, plus application materials.
Logline
Up to 75 words for the reviewed cycle.
Synopsis
Up to 750 words, including the ending.
Optional visual material
A lookbook or project deck PDF up to 40 MB was optional.
The 2027 application asked applicants to describe any generative-AI use in the application, submitted materials, or planned realization of the film's story or artistic vision.
First-round materials were saved in progress before final submission. Advancing writers typically receive a limited second-round window for a full screenplay and updated synopsis.
After the draft is frozen
Private browser check
Catch file, page-setup, and identity issues before you enter the official portal. Your PDF stays in this browser, and every automated result is clearly separated from what you still need to verify yourself.
This is an extra search, not proof of anonymity. You should still inspect the title page, headers, footers, and PDF properties.
PDF only, up to 25 MB. Nothing is uploaded.
Choose a PDF to begin
Use the exact export you plan to submit after your screenplay revisions are frozen.
Reasonable boundaries