“A Thousand Cuts” has secured distribution. A press release announced that PBS’ “Frontline” scored U.S. rights to the Sundance title.

Offering an inside look at the fight for truth, democracy, and freedom of the press in the Philippines, Ramona S. Diaz’s documentary centers on Maria Ressa, CEO and Founder of the Philippine news site Rappler, and a TIME Magazine Person of the Year.

News of the film’s acquisition now proves especially timely: having been at the forefront of attempts to hold President Rodrigo Duterte and his government accountable, Ressa was just convicted by a Manila court for “cyber-libel” crimes in a case widely regarded as a test for press freedoms in the country.

“All the themes that I’ve explored in my previous films were present in this story: power and disempowerment, and how power is harnessed by charismatic individuals in the name of the people,” Diaz told us in an interview ahead of “A Thousand Cuts'” world premiere at Sundance. She emphasized that “fundamental rights we take for granted can be taken away without much resistance — with no drama at all, if we’re not vigilant.”

The award winning director’s previous credits include “Motherland,” “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey,” “Imelda,” “The Learning,” and “Spirits Rising,” all of which have been broadcast on PBS.

Acknowledging the wider context surrounding the new acquisition, “Frontline” Executive Producer Raney Aronson-Rath said, “journalism is essential to a strong democracy — a notion that’s at the heart of ‘A Thousand Cuts.’ We stand with fellow journalists in pursuit of the truth and look forward to sharing this film with our viewers this fall.”

PBS Distribution has the film slated for a theatrical release in August, to be followed by its American broadcast debut on “Frontline” in November 2020.