Difference Between Film and Movie

Main Difference – Film vs Movie

Many of us use the two words film and movie synonymously in our everyday life. Although both these words have similar meanings, and can be used interchangeably in general parlance, there is a certain difference between them in technical meaning and usage. Both film and movie refer to a series of moving pictures, usually shown in a cinema or on television and often telling a story. However, film can also refer to the actual material that the film is recorded on. In addition, the word movie is mostly used in spoken language; film is mostly used in a formal and academic context. This is the main difference between film and movie.

This article examines,

1. What is a Film – Meaning, Characteristics, and Usage of the word Film

2. What is a Movie – Meaning, Characteristics, and Usage of the word Movie

3. What is the difference between Film and Movie

What is a Film

Film can either refer to “a series of moving pictures, usually shown in a cinema or on television and often telling a story” or “a thin flexible strip of plastic or other material coated with light-sensitive emulsion for exposure in a camera, used to produce photographs or motion pictures.” Thus, the word film is used to refer to motion pictures as well as the technology used to produce them. Although films are no longer produced in this method, the word film is still in usage. This word is common is used in phrases such as feature film, documentary film, foreign film, fan film, film buff, film industry, etc.

What is a Movie

Movie is another name for film or motion picture. This word is mostly used in American English. Although movie is commonly used in spoken language, many people tend to use the word film in academic and formal writing.

Moreover, some people tend to use movie specifically to talk about Hollywood blockbusters; they use films to talk about more artistic films. The difference between film and movie, however, depend on the context and the geographical location. In a general sense, they are interchangeable. For example,

We watched a film. = We watched a movie.

The success of a film depends on many factors = The success of a movie depends on many factors.

The phrase “the movies” can refer to the cinema. For example, “We went to the movies.”