T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA “Hitman: The Slaughter” Executive Director Connor Hunter, from left, Screenwriter Ian Falcione, and Director Seth Nardo. visit the Marquee Cinemas at The Highlands with a poster for their upcoming movie that premieres Feb. 22.

WHEELING — Shadyside filmmaker Seth Nardo is making his directorial debut with his action movie “Hitman: The Slaughter.”

The film will premiere exclusively at 7 p.m. Feb. 22 at Marquee Cinemas at The Highlands.

Nardo said although the premiere features only one showtime, if the demand is there he is not opposed to adding additional screenings.

Nardo teamed up with screenwriter Ian Falcione to bring the action-packed, dark comedy that tells the story of two hitmen, Foxy and Chachi, who end their criminal partnership when Chachi decides to retire. Betrayed, Foxy tackles his work more recklessly than ever, leading to botched hits, vengeful mobsters and a deranged pig farmer.

In addition to being the screenwriter, Falcione also plays the character Foxy.

Falcione began the writing process of the movie two years ago, but he and Nardo have been working together in some capacity for the past 10 years.

“We actually used to work at the theater and now we get to present our own movie at the theater, which is really cool,” Nardo said.

He added that although Falcione began writing the movie two years ago, once the writing was finished it took roughly one year to produce the movie.

Nardo added that almost the entire cast consists of Ohio Valley natives, and most of the film was shot throughout the Ohio Valley.

“We primarily shot in the valley, but we also went down to Buckhannon (West Virginia) and did some shots in Fairmont. But mostly I would say the setting takes place in Bellaire,” Nardo said. “There are some interior scenes that we went pretty far away for but nothing exterior-wise, and there’s definitely some interesting shots.”

Falcione added that the set they used for the hitman’s secret lair was a building attached to the Bird’s Nest clothing store. Nardo said that the bar Freddie’s in the film is the Tiger Pub in Shadyside, and Bellaire’s own Flanagan’s bar is featured in the movie with its real name.

Leading up to the release, Nardo and Falcione entered the 2023 West Virginia Film Festival and won Best Short Film.

“I’m incredibly excited to share it with the world,” Nardo said. “After winning the West Virginia Film Festival, I feel more motivated than ever to bring this project to theaters and share it with the public.

“‘Hitman: The Slaughter’ has been a labor of love, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience the world we’ve created.”

He added that he is excited for audiences to wince at some of the more gory parts of the movie and to laugh at the funnier parts.

After the release, he said that the plan is to submit the film to as many film festivals as possible and then try to get it picked up by a streaming service such as Amazon Prime or TUBI.

The budget for the release was completely funded by Nardo himself, and all of the ticket money generated by the premiere on Feb. 22 will be going toward covering the submission fees for various film festivals.

Nardo added that in addition to submitting to film festivals, he wants to possibly rent out theaters in other areas to show the movie.

“So this film, I guess you could say, had a micro-budget. It’s strictly out-of-pocket, but it doesn’t look that way,” Nardo said. “When you see low-budget films, you can already immediately tell, and I have a good way of hiding it through lighting techniques, camera angles and inexperienced actors in the right positions.”

Following the premiere, Falcione and Nardo will be hosting a question-and-answer segment where attendees can ask them any questions they have regarding the production and the movie itself.

Tickets for the premiere can be purchased at sethnardomedia.com.