What is

FILM, MOVIE, CINEMA ?

These are the most commonly used names for the same thing. But the definition varies and is mostly subjective. Some even debate strongly that a film is something shot on film, well — as you wish. Regardless of what your definitions are of these terms, I as a filmmaker must have a strong understanding of these terms, so that no one else gets to decide if my child is a boy or a girl, regardless of how he or she dresses.

(BOYHOOD — The director calls it a “Film”, while the critic (Rolling Stone magazine) calls it a “Movie” )

Film

A story, a narrative, which you become a part of emotionally, without being distracted to other elements during that experience. This could be a 60 second short film to a 2-hour long narrative (or as long as the internet can hold your attention). A film could be watched free, screened anywhere, and also make some revenue. The “art” become the primary focus of the film. Any one who makes a film can call himself a filmmaker. But in comparison to a movie, a film is a job half done.

Movie

A film made with commercial interest, primarily targeted to be screened at theatre’s and collect box-office returns. A movie is not for free. The “film” is just half of the movie experience, the other half being the promotions, the trailers, the teasers, the speculations, the debate, the reviews, the box-office verdict. The life of a movie last mostly as long as its theatrical appeal.

Cinema

Is a higher state of the “movie” experience. This is an experience beyond personal attachment to the characters in the film. This is when you lay back on that chair, ready to be taken to another world visually re-created. Mostly tagged as a ridiculously high budgeted project (Gravity). Can a low-budget film be a cinema — yes. One strong characteristic of a cinema made on a low budget, is the “space” in between the “talking”. The fewer the words used to “tell us”, the better the cinema experience. Another remarkable character of a cinema is the strong presence of audio — be it ambient sounds or orchestrated music.

So, would you call AVATAR a film, movie or a cinema?

P.S. I call it a movie (thats probably why i watched only half of it)