Takeda Invited to Sundance Labs 2025

For the second straight year, TV/Film actor Scott Takeda has been selected to participate in Sundance Director Labs. Specifically he’s been cast by director Diffan Sina Norman to help him workshop scenes in his upcoming feature film “Sitora.”

This horror film is a collaboration with Fangoria Studios and centers around a tyrannical shaman named Sir who exerts his control over a village in Malaysia. For the workshop, Diffan will be working on scenes from the film under the watchful eye of advisors like directors Karyn Kusama, Ed Harris, Jason Reitman, and Nicole Holofcener. Takeda has been cast as Sir. Norman’s previous short films have premiered at Sundance and SXSW and streamed on platforms like Showtime.

Sundance Directors Lab Diffan Sina Normal on the set of “Sitora” with creative advisor Catherine Hardwick. (Photo courtesy of Sundance and photographer Gabe Rovick)

The Labs were created in 1981 to nurture emerging filmmakers. It’s been at the forefront of helping independent filmmaking. Past lab graduates include Steven Soderbergh, Chloé Zhao, Quentin Tarantino and Kimberly Pierce. Norman