If you want to get your Canadian script made by Chinese studios, veteran Vancouver indie producer Harry Sutherland is your man and the Whistler Film Festival is your destination.

Sutherland, who is on the Whistler Film Festival board, has backing from Telefilm Canada and the state-run China Film Group for a script competition that will see Canadian writer/producer teams pitch potential movie coproductions to Chinese producers in 2012.

“The entire film world is looking for ways to develop relationships with China and this initiative does just that,” Sutherland, chairman of the of China Canada Gateway For Film program, said as the script competition was officially unveiled Sunday at the Whistler Film Festival.

The strategy is simple: Whistler selects Canadian script synopses to be pitched to Chinese studios at the 2012 Whistler Film Festival, and the potential Chinese partners get a bridge into the North American film market.

If all goes to plan, the Canadian writer/producer teams will see their projects made into movies with Chinese partners.

The pitch competition will take place at the Whistler Summit, the festival’s industry forum.

The first-look deal will favour movie scripts that will work in both the Chinese and international markets, are culturally sensitive and have a diverse cast.

For Sutherland, the launch of the script competition follows years of grooming Chinese producers with annual visits to the Whistler Film Festival so they can learn about the Canadian market.