Ana Kokkinos facts for kids

Ana Kokkinos is an Australian film and television director and screenwriter. She is known for her movie Head On (1998). She has also directed popular TV shows like The Secret Life of Us, The Time of Our Lives, and Ten Pound Poms.

One newspaper, The Guardian, said that Ana Kokkinos's films are "among the most hard-hitting bodies of work in Australian cinema." This means her movies often explore serious and important topics.

Early Life and Education

Ana Kokkinos was born in Melbourne, Australia. Before she started making films, she worked as a lawyer.

In 1991, she was accepted into a special program at the Victorian College of the Arts. This program helped her learn how to make films and television shows.

Career Highlights

Starting Out in Film

Ana Kokkinos began her career with a short film called Antamosi (1992). She made this film during her first year at film school. It tells the story of a family who moved to a new country, seen through the eyes of three generations of women. Ana Kokkinos comes from a Greek immigrant family herself, so her work often explores themes of identity and family.

Her next film was a longer short feature called Only the Brave (1994). This movie is about a girl named Alex who tries to help her best friend, Vicki, who is going through a difficult time.

Breakthrough with Head On

In 1998, Ana Kokkinos directed Head On. This film looks at how a city can affect a person. Head On follows a Greek-Australian teenager named Ari as he explores Melbourne. He is trying to figure out who he is and how he fits in, especially with what his family expects of him.

Head On caused a lot of discussion in the Greek community in Australia. Ana Kokkinos said in an interview that the film helped young Greek people and their parents talk more openly. She felt the movie "broken down barriers."

The film was based on a book called Loaded by Christos Tsiolkas. Head On won several awards, including Best First Feature at the San Francisco International Film Festival and Best Film at the Milan International Film Festival.

Films and TV Shows in the 2000s

Her next film was The Book of Revelation (2006). This movie was also based on a book, written by Rupert Thomson. The Book of Revelation was nominated for Best Screenplay by the Australian Film Institute.

In 2009, Ana Kokkinos directed Blessed. This film explores the relationship between a mother and her child over one day. Blessed was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay by the Australian Film Institute in 2009.

In May 2022, Ana Kokkinos was chosen to direct a TV drama called Ten Pound Poms. This show is about British citizens who moved to Australia after the Second World War.

Selected Filmography

• Anatamosi (1992)
• Only the Brave (1994)
• Head On (1998)
• The Book of Revelation (2006)
• Blessed (2009)
• The Hunting (2019 TV mini-series)
• Here Out West (co-director)

See also

• List of female film and television directors