A Greenfield teen is making his silver screen debut in a new feature-length independent film.

Rowan Muzzy, 16, a Greenfield resident and recent Eaglebrook School graduate landed the starring role of Nolan in “Stonegate,” a new indie film mostly shot in the abandoned buildings of Tewksbury State Hospital.

The feature-length film, coming in at about an hour and 48 minutes, is about a disturbed doctor at a state hospital who covered up a murder he committed. Then, 13 years later, a group of teens exploring the now-abandoned hospital unintentionally uncover the secret and unleash the now-deceased doctor’s restless spirit.

“I had never, up until that point, done anything on camera … It was definitely different. Personally, I think it’s a little easier because you can take infinite takes,” Muzzy said, before adding that while theater doesn’t give second chances, acting on camera often requires more emotion behind facial expressions because of close-up shots. “There are definitely aspects of stage [acting] that are very different because you’re performing in front of a crowd.”

“Stonegate” premiered at the Showcase Cinema de Lux at Patriot Place in Foxborough in May. There will be another screening at the West Newton Cinema on June 14. Muzzy said he actually hasn’t seen the movie yet, as the Foxborough premiere took place on the same day as his graduation from Eaglebrook.

The origins of “Stonegate” come back to an experience Daniel Groom, the film’s director, had when he was taking on other production work at the abandoned Medfield State Hospital, which was originally named the Medfield Insane Asylum.

“The inspiration for the movie came from a music video inside an abandoned hospital in Medfield,” Groom said. “It got me inspired to write a story about a doctor and all the horrors that happened in that hospital back in the day.”

Groom said he was impressed by Muzzy’s ability to play a wide-ranging character arc. The director said when he saw Muzzy’s acting tape on Backstage – think LinkedIn for actors – he was impressed, but had no clue that the actor he wanted to cast was all the way out in western Massachusetts.

“This is actually his first feature film ever. The story is basically centered around him,” Groom said. “His performance, specifically, was amazing, I couldn’t have had him play it any better.”

Muzzy added Groom was a great director to work with.

The film has also scooped up a handful of awards in the indie film scene, including the Best Ensemble award at the bimonthly Best Actor & Director Awards in New York.

As the young actor looks to the future, he said he will be attending Deerfield Academy in the fall with plans to pursue the school’s theater program.

“I just personally enjoy it, either being on stage or acting, I find it fun and I don’t really have a reason for that, I just do,” he said. “Everyone says do what you love in life, so if I enjoy acting, I want to make a career out of it.”

As for future “Stonegate” screenings, Groom said he is working to try and get it shown at the Greenfield Garden Cinemas. The trailer for the film can be viewed here: bit.ly/4mGGDL7.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.