User Reviews

This movie is the BEST!!! Told through the eyes of an immature Greek girl, Helen Andridis ( Chloe Traicos) it follows the lives of 3 very strong young ethnic Australian women and their trials and tribulations of trying to fit into society while their families attempt to make them hold on to their cultural identity. Helen the Greek girl, whose only love in life is tennis. However her Yaya ( Jill Mckay) wants nothing but for her to marry a nice Greek boy. Naz ( Aimee Falzon) a Pakistani girl, Helen's best friend who falls in love with an Australian boy going against the wishes of her ultra strict family who have an arranged marriage prepared. And of course the beautiful Eurasian Stephanie V. A girl who seemingly has everything but is really harboring a terrible secret.

This film is in the mold of Juno. Funny but sad. Over the top but real. It makes you laugh and cry and realize not everything is as it first appears.

What I love most about Stephanie V were the 3 female character and their intertwining stories and relations. It is great to see female characters further developed than the usual one-layer handbag view we usually get in mainstream movies- I would have even loved to know more! Chloe is fantastic at writing romantic comedies- the story is alive with characters you recognise and situations we find ourselves in too often. It is a positive and uplifting movie, where romance and love is not always an easy experience but in the end always worth it for what it shows us about ourselves. I saw people leaving I Wish I was Stephanie V with smiles on their faces- this is certainly something we want more of with the Australian cinema experience! Go Chloe!

As a fellow Greek I have to say I absolutely loved this movie. It had splashes of My Big Fat Greek Wedding but with a teen film, girly romance angle to it. The most lovable character is the totally full on Greek grandmother Yaya - played by Jill Mckay who is truly awesome. In some scenes I laughed till I cried. Matrix star Clayton Watson can be recognised as playing the Greek boy hearttrhob - which suits him to a T. Clayton looks so Greek. And newcomer Chloe Traicos plays the lead role of the gawky but sweet, abrasive , but lovable - heroine. Dani Crane and Aimee Falzon are both wonderful in their supporting roles of the two best friends. Dani Crane being the irresistible Stephanie V who everyone wants to be. ( But who has a terrible secret …. No spoilers not telling. You need to see the film)

From what I know so far this film has only screened at festivals. I'm hoping it will get a cinema release soon as its one I want to take my entire Big Fat Greek Family too. On the whole a really good sweet and enjoyable film all round.

One of the best Feel Good Films I've seen in a long time. Done on a tiny budget this film keeps you engrossed in the characters and story from start to finish. Its one of those movies where you don't need stars or 35ml film to make it a success it succeeds all on its own. To me the most outstanding actress was the flamboyant Jill Mckay who plays the role of the Greek grandmother. She is brilliant in the role. Both hilarious and moving in the performance she gives. Chloe Traicos is awesome as her nerdy grand daughter. And Kain O'Keeffe definitely wins " Most Likable" in his role as the homeless but lovable Brendan. Would love to see this again.

I was lucky to attend a preview screening of this hilarious new romantic comedy that is premiering this weekend in Sydney as part of the Women of the World Film Festival. " I Wish I Were Stephanie V" is the story of Helen Andridis - a 21 year naive Greek girl whose only ambition in life is to play tennis. Much to the dismay of Yaya her very Greek grandmother who just wants her to marry a nice Greek boy and have babies. But the only Greek boy Helen has eyes for is Jimmy Koutella. But Helen is incapable of saying two words in his presence despite the efforts of Yaya and Jimmy's mother. Then suddenly Jimmy falls for Stephanie V - an exquisite Eurasian girl and Helen's main rival on the tennis court. Helen is devastated until she meets Tony - a handsome guy a star tennis player perfect to Yaya's expectations in every way except for the fact that.....he's Jewish. "I Wish I Were Stephanie V" is one of the most hilarious but also incredibly moving coming of age stories I've ever seen. It is in the vein of " Bend it Like Beckham" and " My Big Fat Greek Wedding" yet it also has the touch of a powerful and strong drama as well as being comic. The film stars s Clayton Watson ( Matrix) as well as Kain O' Keeffe ( Bluewater High, Home and Away) and Bree Desborough. ( Always Greener) as well as Chloe Traicos who also wrote the piece based on her own life. The film has been selected to be the leading film of the Women of the World Film Festival in Sydney and has already picked up a huge amount of interest amongst key distributors world wide. A MUST see for everyone!

I attended the screening of Stephanie V at the Women in Film festival in Sydney. Was very impressed with what was done with a relatively low budget. The film works well throughout and some of the older characters are particularly enjoyable. The star of the film is Chloe Traicos who also penned the script which is very solid. We can expect great things from Chloe in the future. The story follows three young girls in their quest for love and the hurdles, such as overprotective parents, they have to overcome. Chloe's performance is excellent and she interacts well with the top notch cast. Chloe plays the lead character Helen, a young Greek girl trying to find her way in love and life. Standout performances were Jill McKay. Her role as a traditional overprotective Greek ya ya is hilarious. Kain O'Keefe is also well cast as an energetic friend. I hope this film finds a decent Australian distributor and sales agent as it deserves to go far. I look forward to seeing it on the big screen around Australia.

I was fortunate to attend the the preview of this film recently at the WOW film Festival. The film about the coming-of-age of 3 girls from very different cultural back-grounds is a must see.

The film is fresh, funny & witty with some serious underlying themes & includes some dramatic, moving and heart-breaking moments.

The cast is sensational. Outstanding are Jill McKay in the hilarious role of an overbearing Greek Ya-Ya, beauteous Aimee Falzon as Naz, an overprotected Pakistani Girl, and the stunning Dani Crane not only shows true athleticism as the tennis champ, Stephanie V, but also delivers an emotive & heart-wrenching performance.

I highly recommend this movie!!

Have to say as an Independent Comedy Nerd I absolutely enjoyed this wonderful movie. I saw it in New York a few years back and have been trying to get it on DVD but to no avail. It tells the story of 3 girls from 3 different cultural backgrounds living in Australia. Each girl has her own problems struggling with what is expected of her from her family and socially. This is especially seen with the character of Naz - a Muslim girl expected to marry a much older man and instead she falls for a much younger Australian boy. And with Helen - the Greek tennis nerd who has her heart set on the unobtainable Jimmy but then who unexpectedly falls for the macho Jewish stud - Tony. The story is a beautiful coming of age piece about the lives of these 3 girls and the unexpected twists and turns their lives take. And of course there is the element of tragedy when Helen realizes that the exquisitely beautiful Stephanie's life is far from perfect. The cast is superb. I especially like the larger than life Jill Mckay as Yaya. As well as Chloe Traicos who does a great job playing the nerdy Helen. Altogether a really enjoyable piece.

I saw "I wish I were Stephanie V" without knowing anything about the film, except that it was promoted to be a so called "Chick Flick". I found much more in this film than superficial rivalry between women. The characters, both male and female, were all richly developed and I really cared what happened to them throughout the story. The script gave scope to each individual's story and the circumstances that molded their character and situation. I could connect with them all on some level, despite age, gender or ethnicity. And that was another aspect that this film handled well, the complexity of the multi-cultural societies we all live in, and how important it is not to "judge a book by its cover". An engaging and entertaining film for everyone to see.

Was not expecting to like this film but was pleasantly surprised. It is quirky cute and hilariously funny. Not to mention the fact all the actresses are just gorgeous - Starts off as a bit of a cliché - Nerdy girl needs a boyfriend. Gorgeous girl steals the boy but then it takes off on a lot of unexpected and hilarious turns including Greek "yayas" going on dates with their granddaughters, and serious Muslim girls realizing that there might be more to life than what mum and dad want. As well as this the plot ends up having a very serious turn which I won't spoil for you. But lets just say its a lot deeper than the average chick flick. 2 thumbs up!

Saw this movie at Yamba and killed myself laughing. It is too beautiful for words! I'm Greek and the portrayal of Greeks was hilariously true. Kind of like My Big Fat Greek Wedding only deeper.I loved all the characters esp Yia Yia who was excellently played by Jill Mckay - Also Vasilia - is another hilarious character. ' Story is a bout a Greek girl - Helen trying to find her place in the world but she has a very over powering grandmother who wants her to become a traditional Greek housewife ( something all us Greek girls in that age range can relate to a little too much) AndHelen wants to be just like Stephanie V this Eurasian chick who is a star tennis player and seems to have everything. Helen's grandmother - Yia Yia tries to set her up with the gorgeous Jimmy ( Clayton Watson) but he likes Stephanie which causes dramas with the Greek community

Oh it's too gorgeous! A Must watch!!

This film had me screaming with laughter from the first moment. It tells the story of nerd Helen Andridis ( Brilliantly played by Chloe Traicos) her unrequited passion for Jimmy ( played by the gorgeous Clayton Watson) - her jealousy of the beautiful Stephanie V ( Dani Crane) and the trials and tribulations she shares with her best friend Naz ( Aimee Falzon) Helen's only interest in life is tennis - and Jimmy who her adorable grandmother ( outstandingly played by Jill Mckay) is forever hoping she'll marry. However Helen is too much of a geek to handle it and Jimmy soon falls for the beautiful Stephanie - Uh oh. Greek tragedy Number One. Both Yaya and Jimmy's mother think it is the biggest disaster ever.... and to Helen at first it is..... But ....there's still tennis, Naz, Naz's romance with the lovable quirky Brendan ( another brilliant performance - Kain O' Keefe) and then.... Helen falls in love..... This is technically a girlie film but have to admit all the guys in the audience seemed to love it (including myself - and I was forced to attend the screening) Really hope it goes far! It deserves to!