Head On (1998 film)

Head On
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ana Kokkinos
Produced by	Jane Scott
Screenplay by	Ana Kokkinos
Based on	Loaded by Christos Tsiolkas
Starring	Alex Dimitriades Paul Capsis Julian Garner
Edited by	Jill Bilcock
Distributed by	Strand Releasing
Release dates	13 August 1998 (1998-08-13) (Australia)
Running time	104 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English, Greek

Head On is a 1998 Australian drama film directed by Ana Kokkinos. Based on the novel Loaded written by Christos Tsiolkas, it stars Alex Dimitriades as a young, repressed gay man of Greek descent living in inner city Melbourne.

The film gained notoriety upon its release for its sexual explicitness, including a graphic masturbation scene performed by Dimitriades. Controversy aside, the film received mostly positive reviews by critics who praised its stark realism, the lead performance by Dimitriades and the confronting subject matter. One critic in particular, from The Washington Post, compared the film to the work of widely acclaimed German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder.

Plot synopsis

Over a 24-hour period, 19 year old Ari confronts his sexuality and his Greek background. Ari is obsessed with sex and has sexual encounters with multiple people, most of them gay, and attempts to fulfill one of his best friend's sister. At the same time, he's facing problems with his traditional Greek parents, who have no clue about his sexual and drug taking activities.

Cast

• Alex Dimitriades as Ari
• Paul Capsis as Johnny/Tula
• Julian Garner as Sean
• Tony Nikolakopoulos as Dimitri
• Elena Mandalis as Betty
• Damien Fotiou as Joe
• Eugenia Fragos as Sophia
• María Mercedes as Tasia
• Alex Papps as Peter
• Dora Kaskanis as Dina
• Vassili Zappa as Vassili
• Andrea Mandalis as Alex

Reception

Head On received mixed to positive reviews, earning a 61% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Awards and nominations

Australian Film Institute

• Best Actor (Alex Dimitriades, nominated)
• Best Costume Design (nominated)
• Best Direction (Ana Kokkinos, nominated)
• Best Editing (won)
• Best Film (nominated)
• Best Original Score (Ollie Olsen, nominated)
• Best Screenplay - Adapted (Andrew Bovell, Ana Kokkinos and Mira Robertson, nominated)
• Best Sound (nominated)
• Best Supporting Actor (Paul Capsis, nominated)

L.A. Outfest

• Grand Jury Award: Outstanding Foreign Narrative Feature (Ana Kokkinos, won)

San Francisco International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival

• Best First Feature (Ana Kokkinos, won)

External links

• Head On at IMDb
• Head On at the National Film and Sound Archive
• "Surprising Results at Awards" by Joshua Smith.