As a “thank you” to the New Martinsville community, filmmaker Eddie Mensore is scheduled to hold two, free screenings of his new movie, “The Deposition,” in the city where filming occurred.

Mensore, a New Martinsville native who now lives in Los Angeles, made the movie in his hometown in 2009. Since then, he has entered it into numerous film festivals and hopes to show it in a larger market in the future.

Until then, Mensore, a 1994 graduate of Magnolia High School, plans to show the film to New Martinsville residents during free screenings set for 7:15 p.m. July 22-23 at the Lincoln Theater, 242 Main St., downtown New Martinsville.

The event is sponsored by Riverfront Development in cooperation with Mensore and the New Martinsville Parks and Recreation Department. While the showing is free, donations will be accepted at the door with proceeds to be divided between Riverfront and the parks department.

Mensore, 34, started making short films at 22, but this is his first feature-length film. He describes it as an “independent mystery-thriller.”

According to a description of the movie, ”When a man accidentally causes a car wreck that kills his former lover, his life is derailed and his mind is splintered with guilt and the subsequent uncertainty about what exactly happened. Now, a shell of his former self, he must piece together his identity, escape the harsh judgment of the community, and reconcile conflicting court testimonies of others involved in the events that lead to that tragic night.”

The two lead characters are from California and Colorado. The remaining cast is from the New Martinsville area.

”We used a lot of local talent,” Mensore said, noting it was cheaper to film in his hometown than in Los Angeles.

Mensore didn’t hold formal casting calls to find actors, he simply approached people on the street or recruited residents he already knew. Mensore wrote and directed the movie and co-produced it with another New Martinsville native, Michael McKowen.

”I wanted to go back to Appalachia because it’s much easier. . . I love where I came from,” he noted.

Mensore said the film is not yet rated, but there is some adult language. He said children should not view it.

Mensore, the son of John and Tulane Mensore who own Mensore Distributing in New Martinsville, will be present for the screening and will speak and answer questions afterward.

At the Los Angeles Movie Awards, “The Deposition” won an award for excellence and awards for best editing and best special effects, all in the Narrative Feature category. It also was a Golden Ace Award winner at the Las Vegas Film Festival.