CORONER TO THE STARS

2025, USA, Documentary, Color, 85 minutes

Directed by: Ben Hethcoat, Keita Ideno

Written by: Ben Hethcoat, John Henry Hinkel, Keita Ideno

Produced by: Billy Ray Brewton, Ben Hethcoat, Tommy Andres, John Henry Hinkel

Executive Produced by:

P David Ebersole & Todd Hughes

Starring: Dr. Thomas Noguchi, George Takei, Janice Hahn, Dr. Cyril Wecht, Dan Medina, Rosalind Marks

Cinematography by: Michelle Lawler, Erica Chan

Edited by: Keita Ideno, Ben Hethcoat

Music by: Mondo Boys

Summary: Coroner to the Stars chronicles the extraordinary journey of Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the former Los Angeles County Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner whose groundbreaking autopsies forever shaped American culture. From Marilyn Monroe and Robert Kennedy to Sharon Tate and Natalie Wood, Noguchi’s outspoken expertise pushed forensic science into the spotlight—even as Hollywood elites and political adversaries sought to silence him. A Japanese immigrant who unwittingly rose to fame in a city driven by stardom, Noguchi’s fearless pursuit of truth often placed him in the crosshairs of controversy.

Film Festival Premieres: WORLD PREMIERE Slamdance (February 23, 2025) • CANADA PREMIERE Calgary Underground Film Festival (2025) • OFFICIAL SELECTION Mammoth Lakes Film Festival (2025) • OFFICIAL SELECTION Tallgrass Film Festival (2025) • OFFICIAL SELECTION Kanazawa Film Fest (2025) • OFFICIAL SELECTION Rome International Film Festival (2025) • OFFICIAL SELECTION Pillusion Film Festival (2025) • OFFICIAL SELECTION Oak Cliff Film Festival (2025) • OFFICIAL SELECTION Palm Springs International Film Festival (2026)

Release: US THEATRICAL Antennae Releasing (June/July 2026)

Awards: SLAMDANCE Audience Award Best Documentary (2025) • TALLGRASS FILM FESTIVAL Audience Award Best Documentary (2025) • MAMMOTH LAKES FILM FESTIVAL Audience Award Best Documentary (2025) • KANAZAWA FILM FESTICAL Grand Jury Award Best Documentary (2025) • ROME INTL FILM FESTIVAL Grand Jury Award Best Documentary (2025) • PILLUSION FILM FESTIVAL Audience Award Best Documentary (2025)

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PRESS

NEW YORK TIMES “At 98, the ‘Coroner to the Stars’ Is Getting One Last Act”
INDIEWIRE “Slamdance Film Festival Announces Award Winners from Inaugural Los Angeles Edition”
ARTS BEAT L.A. “Slamdance 2025 Review: ‘Coroner to the Stars’”