STEPHANIE OKEREKE RETURNS WITH A BANG -THROWS AWAY CRUTCHES, PRODUCES HER FIRST FILM AND DECLARES I AM SINGLE AND SEARCHING

Star actress Stephanie Okereke has finally returned to Nigeria after almost five months of living in New York, spending some weeks at Hollywood to recuperate from injuries sustained in that famous auto crash which incapacitated her . She also used the time to grab some tutelage on professional film making.

The pretty actress returned to Nigeria 9th August to showcase her new found figure devoid of a walking cane and armed with a new movie featuring both Nigerian and American actors and actresses to show for it.

“The biggest thing for me as in achievement” she says “is that I have thrown away the crutches and can walk about on my own without being aided. I thank God for his mercies. Even though I have not worked since, I am so glad that I can boast of a new movie which I produced and directed with a mixed cast.

The movie is a romantic comedy which I wrote while studying at the New York Film Academy. I also acted in it because I am first of all an actress before any thing else. We have a working title; Through the glass. It has to do with a young man named Jeffery who didn't want to be committed to any relationship. He has several women and one great day he returns to see a little baby at his door.

One of his numerous women had delivered of a baby and dumped it at his door. His neighbour, a black woman named Ada which I played is around and helps him out of his dilemma. There were several court cases and several visits to the welfare department.

The whole thing started after I completed my course of study and was wondering how I would call myself a director without a movie, so I decided to do something especially when I was in a conducive atmosphere for the movie to be shot. In a few weeks time we would be through with post production and begin to think about marketing either locally and internationally.

The 6th out of the eight children of her parents whose first movies in the Nollywood dispensation were Compromise and Waterloo also told of how she paid so much for the movie. According to the University of Calabar Theater Arts graduate, “ In the United states, you paid for services hourly so all the members of the cast and crew were paid well for them to work. My Assistant Director is Sarah Onyeacho, a young Nigerian lady who studied film making in the U.S while my co producer was Jane Lawalata.

I put in every thing I learnt and every thing I got in terms of finances.

When it was time to talk about Chikelue Iloanusi, the young man she was associated with after a court Registry marriage, Stephanie exclaims, “I'd rather not talk about this. This is not a subject I like to talk about.

As far as I am concerned, I consider that topic dead. I am not here to run any one down because there were great things we shared together. When I read some of the stories he was peddling in the papers, I only pitied him. But the matter is done with and there is no hope for reconciliation. As I am talking to you right now, I am free and very single. I am even searching.”