Clif Prowse

An active participant in the Vancouver, BC film community beginning in the early 2000s, Clif Prowse made four short films with horror elements before turning to his first feature, "Afflicted" (2014). As with his short subjects, Prowse co-wrote and co-directed "Afflicted" with his longtime friend Derek Lee. In order to keep their budget manageable on their first feature, Prowse undertook his first role in front of the camera, playing opposite Lee (who had also acted in each of the pair's short films), and the two recruited their actual family and friends to play many of the roles. The story concerned two friends who head out on a European adventure that is derailed when one of them (Lee) contracts a mysterious disease after a liaison with a local woman. CBS Films picked up the movie for U.S. distribution prior to its premiere as a Midnight Madness selection at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won a special jury prize for Best Canadian First Feature Film. The film went on to win Best Picture (Horror), Best Screenplay (Horror), and Best Director (Horror) at the 2013 Austin Fantastic Fest, as well as the Maria Award for Best Special Effects from the 2013 Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, where it was also nominated for Best Picture.