Queen of Hearts
When a reckless gang of thieves delivers an unexpected hostage into Mara’s home, the past she buried erupts to the surface. Matt, a ghost from her childhood, holds a letter that threatens to expose a lifetime of silence, betrayal, and abuse.
Through tense interrogations and haunting flashbacks, Mara plays a dangerous game, turning memory into leverage, and leverage into survival. With a single Queen of Hearts card as her weapon, she decides that truth is hers to control. But as her mask slips, the question remains: is she a cold-blooded killer, or a survivor rewriting her own fate?
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Angela AndronacheDirectorThe Box, Small Things,etc.
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Angela AndronacheWriterThe Box, Small Things, etc.
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Fran Leon LuyWriter
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Angela AndronacheProducerThe Box, Stubborn Grace, Small Things, etc
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Angela AndronacheKey Cast"Mara"
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Darren AnselmoKey Cast"Detective Sparks"
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Barbara RyanKey Cast"Mimi"
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Sharon StephenKey Cast"Detective Jackson"
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Lisa L MartinKey Cast"June (thief)"
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James FerrignoKey Cast"Matt Jones "
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Michael LaboskaKey Cast"Zip (thief)"
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Sina (thief) ZolghadrKey Cast"Peanut (thief)"
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Andrew DeliceKey Cast"Stitch (bodyguard)"
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Joanna TassieKey Cast"Berry (thief)"
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Albert AronovDP
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Gabriel Gelado VegaCamera Operators
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Daniel Luaces MendozaCamera Operators
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Chris PintoProp Master
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Francisco J OrtegaScript Supervisor
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Michael ArangoBTS
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Manzoor IlahiPoster Design
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Gabriel Gelado VegaGaffer
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Project Type:Short
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Runtime:9 minutes 20 seconds
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Completion Date:September 14, 2025
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Production Budget:500 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital 75mm & 35mm
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Aspect Ratio:16.9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Digital Cinema Package:Unavailable
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Miami
United States
September 27, 2025
North America Premiere
Best Cinematography Award , and 5th Place
Angela Andronache is an award-winning director, producer, and actress whose storytelling is shaped by a diverse background in law, fine arts, and filmmaking. Born and raised in Moldova, she carries cultural richness and emotional depth into her work, informed by her studies in IT & Economics, Marketing, Fine Arts, Videography, Photography, and Criminal Justice (M.A.). This wide-ranging foundation gives her a unique lens on human behavior, discipline, and visual language, tools she now channels into filmmaking with precision and passion.
In less thant two years, Angela’s films have earned more than 60 international recognitions, including over 40 awards for Small Things, 19 awards for The Box, Best Cinematography for Queen of Hearts at the 48-Hour Film Festival in Fort Lauderdale, and Best Director at the Crown Point International Film Festival in Chicago. Her work has also been celebrated at Los Angeles Film Awards, Heart of Europe International, Urban Film Festival, and many more.
Angela’s directing style is defined by a commitment to female-led narratives, psychological tension, and stories that explore trust, betrayal, and identity. She integrates her experience as an actress, trained in Meisner, Method, Stanislavski, Chubbuck, improv, and on-camera performance, into her directing, guiding performances with authenticity and emotional truth. Her deep knowledge of cinematography, editing, and production further enhances her ability to shape stories from concept to screen, often serving as both director and editor on her projects.
Fluent in English and Romanian, conversational in Russian, and skilled with a natural range of Eastern European and American accents, Angela also brings versatility and discipline from her personal passions, including water sports, yoga, and animal handling. These experiences add nuance to her storytelling, grounding her films in lived authenticity while pushing boundaries in visual style.
Angela’s mission as a filmmaker is to create stories that resonate across cultures, spark dialogue, and spotlight strong, layered female characters. She believes in the raw, unfiltered power of cinema to reveal truths, and with each project, she strives to connect audiences not only to her characters but to the deeper human questions beneath them.
Good stories take us by surprise. They make us think and have unique feelings. They remain in our memory for years to come, they help us remember ideas and concepts in a way that nothing else can.