Film is set for an Oscar-qualifying run on December 4.
NEW YORK, NY (November 5, 2026) – Magnolia Pictures announced that it will release Betsy Hershey and Emma Wall’s propulsive winner of the F:ACT Award at CPH:DOX and an official selection of the Tribeca Festival, JUST LOOK UP. Executive produced by Oscar® winner Adam McKay (DON’T LOOK UP, THE BIG SHORT), two-time Oscar® nominee Joshua Oppenheimer (THE ACT OF KILLING, THE LOOK OF SILENCE), and Oscar®-nominated producer Signe Byrge Sørensen, the documentary follows a defiant young visionary who leads a wildly disruptive and unexpectedly joyful climate movement to shake society awake and demand a livable future. The film will have a one-week Oscar-qualifying theatrical run in Los Angeles on December 4th, followed by a wider theatrical release in Q1 2027.
JUST LOOK UP follows Michael Greenberg, the brash, relentless founder of Climate Defiance, a youth movement known for confronting politicians and oil executives face to face. In the tradition of Gandhi’s Satyagraha, the Civil Rights Movement, and ACT UP, they use radical nonviolent direct action to call out Big Oil, corporate CEOs, and the politicians who enable them. The film charts a motley, idealistic crew as they improvise, fail, regroup, and push on, often to laugh-out-loud effect. Driven by a soundtrack featuring Chappell Roan, Doechii, and Billie Eilish, JUST LOOK UP is a rowdy, irreverent portrait of a generation with no room to fail.
“This film exists to move people beyond despair and into action,” said Betsy Hershey and Emma Wall. “These young people are turning fear and frustration into something powerful, drawing on a long history of ordinary people coming together to challenge power and create change. They remind us that change is possible, and that there can be real joy in making it happen. They’re also some of the funniest people we’ve ever filmed, which turns out to be a pretty good strategy for taking on Big Oil. We’re thrilled to partner with Magnolia, a home to so many films that have inspired and shaped us, to bring this uplifting story to as many people as possible and make real change feel tangible.”
Directed by Betsy Hershey and Emma Wall, JUST LOOK UP is produced by Signe Byrge Sørensen and Natja Rosner. Executive Producers are Adam McKay, Joshua Oppenheimer, Staci Roberts-Steele, and Geralyn Dreyfous.
Range Select closed the deal on behalf of the filmmakers.
Featured image: © Guesthouse Productions. Official film information.
