Alison Klayman’s acclaimed Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry premiered at Sundance last month and will benefit from a “major” summer theatrical roll-out planned to coincide with the activist’s first trip outside China since his recent detention.

The film won a special jury prize for Spirit Of Defiance in Park City and chronicles the activities of China’s outspoken artist and human rights campaigner.

Klayman and Adam Schlesinger produced and Karl Katz, Julie Goldman and Andrew Cohen served as executive producers. The film is presented by United Expression Media in association with MUSE Film &Television. 

“Alison Klayman has delivered a major achievement in documentary filmmaking with this story about the importance of Ai Weiwei in his fight with the Chinese government for greater transparency and basic human rights,” Sundance Selects/IFC Films president Jonathan Sehring said.

The company’s svp of acquisitions and productions Arianna Bocco negotiated the deal with John Sloss and Dana O’Keefe of Cinetic Media and Victoria Cook of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein + Selz on behalf of the filmmakers as well as United Expression Media.