The Only Film in Town is a memoir about the making of a small-town feature film with heart. When Stuart Cresswell of Simple Films Ltd. decided to make The Only Game in Town in and around Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, he did not anticipate the ups and the downs he would encounter, including the scrapping of the province’s film tax credit. Inspired by his own family, Cresswell recruited young and sometimes inexperienced talent, and he forged ahead.

His film is the story of Cormack Vertue, an autistic teenager with a unique ability: his super skill at solitaire. This skill lands him on his school’s solitaire team, complicates his social life, and sends him on a quest to establish who he really is and what he stands for. In The Only Film in Town, Cresswell explains how he made, against the odds, a gentle and humorous coming-of-age story for the big screen, creating art and opportunity in rural Nova Scotia. The Only Film in Town includes behind-the-scenes photos and stills from the film.

Stuart Cresswell is a writer, producer, and director with decades of experience on both sides of the Atlantic. A full-time resident of Nova Scotia’s north shore, he runs the TV and film production company Simple Films Ltd.

Stuart Cresswell's profile page