Fried Fish & Plantain
About the Film
Two years from their first night together, Willie & Marisol have their "first date." As they navigate a "post-pandemic" Toronto, they sift through who and what they’ve become amidst the circumstances, grief, and secrets that have kept them apart. Together, they discover if there can be love after loss. Starring TIFF 21' Rising Star Emma Ferreira and Tiff Next Wave Alum Paul-Daniel Torres.
Director: Paul-Daniel Torres
Producer: Loveleen Kaur
Canada // 2025 // Drama, Romance, Comedy // Los Shorts
13 minutes
About the Filmmaker
Paul-Daniel Torres is a director, writer, actor and community worker, born in the heart of Toronto. He grew up between the apartments next to the Jane and Finch Mall, St. Judes on Weston Road, and next to a dumpster in Thornhill. He was raised by his parents Mery and Paul, Ecuadorean immigrants (a cleaning lady and a superintendent, both with university degrees) who’d take him to the movies every Tuesday and Blockbuster every Friday.
This upbringing shines through in his visually and sonically eclectic style, inspired by the multicultural mosaic of Toronto and the Latine diaspora. Through his work he explores the pros and cons of the “immigrant dream”, being a child of immigrants on stolen land, race, class, education, mental health, identity, community and how these all intersect within neo-colonial systems. Ultimately, how it affects our ability to love and connect with one another. However, at his heart, he’s an entertainer, who wants his films to teach and enthrall.
His thesis film, Do Turtles Swim in Maple Syrup (2019) won best screenplay (awarded by Meridian Artists) and best thesis defense at Sheridan’s 2019 Media Art Awards. It also screened at TIFF Next Wave (2019), Toronto Youth Shorts (2019), and NFFTY (2020). At the Official Latino Film Festival (sponsored by HBO) (2020), he was awarded the “Young Trailblazer” award from Danny Hastings (Creative Director of "The Wu-Tang Clan" & Photographer of "36 Chambers") as well winning “Best Direction” at that year’s Toronto Youth Shorts (2019). His follow up short “The Mis(RE)education of the Invisible yet Furious Five” was nominated for six awards at the The Reelworld Film Festival (2021) (including Best Direction, Short, and Screenplay) where he received mentorship from Director X as well. As well as screening at the 2022 edition of The Buffalo International Film Festival. His next short “Fried Fish & Plantain” (2025) is a romantic-comedy starring TIFF Rising Star and Netflix’s Emma Ferreira currently getting ready for its festival run.
His other great passion is film facilitation, teaching youth guerilla filmmaking and media literacy in underserved communities. This work is mostly done through Vibe Arts where Paul-Daniel is an "established artist" on their roster and their lead film facilitator. Primarily serving the borough of North York around Weston and Jane & Finch as well as the downtown core. This comes from a deep passion for making theatrical filmmaking accessible to youth from similar backgrounds. His hope is to figure out how to bridge the gap from an "aspiring" filmmaker to "emerging" filmmaker for racialized & working class youth.
Outside of film, Paul-Daniel Torres is also an installation artist featured at the Bata Shoe Museum (2020) and the Whippersnapper Gallery. As well as a Canadian League of Poets member.
And most importantly is helping to take care of his ailing grandmother and his young nieces Serena and Celeste, who he all loves dearly.
