# film > visual art work that simulates experiences and communicates ideas, stories, or emotions through moving images, generally synchronized with sound since the 1930s **Wikidata**: [Q11424](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11424) **Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/film ## Summary Film is a sequence of images that give the impression of movement and (historically) is stored on film stock. It is an audiovisual work and a form of visual artwork and moving image, commonly called a movie or motion picture and represented across many library, museum, and web classification systems. ## Key Facts - Film is defined as a "sequence of images that give the impression of movement, stored on film stock." - Film is subclassed as an audiovisual work, a moving image, and a visual artwork. - Common aliases include: movie, motion picture, cinematic work, flick, moving picture, cinema, films, filme, pelicula (and many other language equivalents listed below). - Equivalent class mappings include http://dbpedia.org/ontology/Film and (preferred) https://schema.org/Movie. - Film has been the subject of organized scholarly study: film theory, film studies, and the sociology of film. - Film has associated parts that commonly appear in its structure: motion picture credits; trailer; film frame; film or TV credits; title sequence. - Film has the characteristic "film genre." - Images associated with the concept: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Muybridge_race_horse_animated.gif (preferred), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Fox_movietone_2.jpg. - Wikidata description: "sequence of images that give the impression of movement, stored on film stock." - Sitelink count on Wikimedia projects: 235. - Wikipedia article title: "Film". - Topic's main category on Wikimedia: Category:Films. - Topic has a dedicated portal: Portal:Film. - Topic-related template: Template:Infobox film. - Model/example works linked as instances: 12 Angry Men; Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis; Wild Tales; Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope; Elevator to the Gallows. - Mesh descriptor (MeSH): D009040 ("Motion Pictures"). - Dewey Decimal Classification for film: 791.43. - Library of Congress Classification range: PN1993–PN1999. - Unspsc code: 90131601. - Art & Architecture Thesaurus ID: 300136900. - UNESCO Thesaurus ID: concept352. - Freebase ID: /m/02vxn (reference date 2013-10-28). - GND (German National Library) ID: 4017102-4. - BabelNet ID: 00034471n. - BabelNet / other external identifiers include many national and subject vocabularies listed below (e.g., nl_cr_aut_id ph114534 and ph120215). - Equivalent/linked ontology: https://schema.org/Movie is marked preferred among equivalent classes. - Multiple library/thesaurus identifiers and mappings: LCC, MeSH, AAT, UNESCO, STW thesaurus for economics, RKD thesaurus, National and regional encyclopedia IDs (e.g., Encyclopedia of China, Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia). - Subject and news/topic IDs across organizations: ABC News (film-industry), BBC (cg41ylwvgjyt), The Guardian (uk/film), New York Times (subject/movies), The New Yorker (film, films), The New York Post (film, films). - Topic and tagging identifiers in online platforms: quora topic "Movies"; subreddit communities: r/movies (English, "Movie News and Discussion", start 2008-01-25), r/TrueFilm (English, "TrueFilm: An in-depth discussion of film", start 2011-10-16), r/MovieDetails (English, start 2017-06-30). - X/Twitter topic IDs: 1072936713134071808 (qualifier Movies, 映画) with preserved archived reference; also 1276514328007467008. - Commons category: Film. Small icon: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Ic_movie_48px.svg. - Sits in many themed thesauri and controlled vocabularies (examples include Mesh tree codes J01.897.280.500.598; K01.093.545; L01.462.500.590.500; L01.462.500.820.090.598). - Maintained in Wikipedia work: WikiProject Film. - Topic appears in many encyclopedias and databases: Encyclopædia Britannica (art/motion-picture entry), Metropolitan Museum of Art Tagging Vocabulary (Cinema), Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia (vol. 5), Encyclopedia of China. - Has many subject and topic identifiers across broadcasters and reference systems (NHK, ABC, BBC, Yle, NRK, TED, etc.) and topic IDs for news aggregation services (Google News topics ID listed). - "Different from" property specifies film (the concept) is different from film reel (physical medium). - Properties commonly used for items of this type on Wikidata include an extensive list of P-numbers (P57, , , etc.) shown under "properties_for_this_type." - Permanent duplicated item reference included (: ). - FactGrid item oddity noted: "factgrid_item_id: Tiberius Claudius Balbilus" (source property recorded as provided). - Presence across Wikimedia language editions includes: af, als, am, an, ang, anp, ar, ary, arz, as, ast, az, azb, ba, bat_smg, bcl, be, be_x_old, bew, bg, bh, bjn, bn, bo, bpy, br, bs, ca, cdo, ce, ceb, ckb, co, crh, cs, csb, cy, da, diq, el, en, eo, es, et, eu, ext, fa, fi, fiu_vro, fj, fo, fr, frr, fur, fy, gan, gd, gl, gn, gom, gv, ha, hak, haw, he, hi, hif, hr, ht, hu, hy, ia, id, ig, ilo, inh, io, is, it, ja, jam, jbo, jv, kaa, kab, kk, kn, ko, ks, ku, kw, ky, la, lad, lb, li, lld, ln, lt, lv, mai, map_bms, mg, min, mk, ml, mn, mr, ms, mwl, my, myv, nah, nap, nds, nds_nl, ne, new, nl, nn, no, nrm, oc, pa, pap, pcd, pl, pms, pnb, ps, pt, qu, ro, ru, rue, sa, sah, sc, scn, sco, sd, sh, si, simple, sk, sl, sn, so, sq, sr, st, su, sv, sw, szl, szy, ta, te, tg, th, ti, tl, tok, tr, ts, tt, tyv, ug, uk, ur, uz, vep, vi, wa, war, wuu, yi, zgh, zh, zh_classical, zh_min_nan, zh_yue, zu. - Community and forum identifiers: Stack Exchange site https://movies.stackexchange.com; Lemmy community movies@lemmy.world; Fandom wiki "movies" (English). - Topic has template and category resources for article and metadata management: Template:Infobox film; Category:Wikipedia categories named after films. - Several music, credits, and personnel-related Wikidata-style properties are common for film entries (e.g., P57 director, cast, genre, publication/release date). - Various national thesauri and catalog IDs: National Library of Latvia IDs; National Library of Israel identifier; Library of Congress Authority: sh85088084; NDL authority id: 00561772; RKD Thesaurus id: 90616. - Described in museum and tagging vocabularies (Metropolitan Museum of Art Tagging Vocabulary entry "Cinema"). - SEO data: none available in source. ## FAQs Q: What exactly is a film? A: Film is a sequence of images that produce the impression of movement; it is classified as an audiovisual work, a moving image, and a visual artwork, and historically the images have been stored on film stock. Q: What other names are used for film? A: Film is also called movie, motion picture, cinematic work, moving picture, cinema, flick, filme, pelicula, and numerous language-specific terms such as 电影 (Chinese), кино (Russian), and ムービー (Japanese). Q: How is film organized or categorized in libraries and thesauri? A: Film is catalogued under Dewey Decimal 791.43 and Library of Congress range PN1993–PN1999, appears in MeSH as D009040, and has AAT and UNESCO thesaurus entries; it maps to multiple controlled vocabularies and subject IDs across national and specialized systems. Q: What parts make up a typical film entry or artifact? A: Typical components associated with film include motion picture credits, trailers, individual film frames, film or TV credits, and title sequences. Q: Where can I find community discussion or topic hubs about film? A: Online communities and topic hubs include Reddit (r/movies, r/TrueFilm, r/MovieDetails), Stack Exchange (Movies), Lemmy (movies@lemmy.world), Quora topic "Movies," and many news-topic mappings (BBC, The Guardian, New York Times, etc.). Q: Which academic fields study film? A: Film is studied by film theory, film studies, and the sociology of film. Q: Are there standard metadata properties for film entries? A: Yes; a long list of Wikidata-style properties is commonly used for films (examples include P57 director, cast, publication date), and a complete property list is specified under "properties_for_this_type." ## Why It Matters - Film functions as both an artistic medium and a central mass-media format. As an audiovisual work and moving image, it combines visual storytelling, performance, sound, and editing to convey narrative, emotion, and information. - As a subject of systematic study (film theory, film studies, sociology of film), film informs academic understanding of culture, society, and communication practices. - Film is extensively indexed in libraries, thesauri, and cultural institutions (Dewey, LCC, MeSH, AAT, UNESCO), making it a key object for cataloging, preservation, and scholarly reuse. - Across digital communities and news organizations, film operates as a major topic for public conversation, critique, and cultural reporting, demonstrated by the breadth of topic identifiers and community platforms linked to it. - Film's modular components (credits, trailers, frames, title sequences) support distinct industries and workflows—production, distribution, archiving, and scholarship—so it matters to creators, archivists, critics, and educators. - The wide multilingual and cross-cultural presence of film (Wikipedia in 235 sitelinks and many language editions) attests to its global cultural relevance and accessibility. ## Notable For - Being defined succinctly as a "sequence of images that give the impression of movement" and historically stored on film stock. - Classification as an audiovisual work, moving image, and visual artwork, bridging art and media categories. - Extensive equivalence and mapping to major ontologies and schemas, including a preferred mapping to https://schema.org/Movie. - Being the subject of specialized academic disciplines: film theory, film studies, and sociology of film. - Inclusion in major bibliographic and subject systems: Dewey 791.43, LCC PN1993–PN1999, MeSH D009040, AAT 300136900, and multiple national thesauri. - Rich presence in online communities and media topic systems (Reddit subreddits, Stack Exchange, major news-topic IDs). - Large multilingual representation across Wikimedia projects (sitelink_count 235; dozens of language editions listed). - Standardized structural parts such as credits, trailers, film frames, and title sequences are typical components across film instances. - Widely used metadata vocabulary on Wikidata (a long list of properties exists for film-type items). ## Body ### Definition - Film is recorded as "sequence of images that give the impression of movement, stored on film stock" in the core description. - The concept is explicitly categorized as an audiovisual work, a moving image, and a visual artwork. ### Classification & Ontology - Subclass relationships: film → audiovisual work; film → moving image; film → visual artwork. - Equivalent class mappings include DBpedia's Film ontology (http://dbpedia.org/ontology/Film) and, preferentially, https://schema.org/Movie. - Film items on data platforms are typically instances of the class Film and utilize a defined set of metadata properties (see "properties_for_this_type"). ### Identifiers & External IDs - GND (Germany): 4017102-4. - Freebase: /m/02vxn (reference 2013-10-28). - BabelNet: 00034471n. - Library of Congress authority: sh85088084. - NDL authority: 00561772. - RKD Thesaurus: 90616. - Mesh descriptor ID: D009040. - Multiple national library and thesauri identifiers are associated with the film concept (e.g., National Library of Latvia IDs, National Library of Israel identifier). - FactGrid item recorded as "Tiberius Claudius Balbilus" (factgrid_item_id as provided). ### Aliases, Languages & International Labels - Film is known by many synonyms and translations: movie, motion picture, cinematic work, flick, moving picture, cinema, filme, pelicula, películas, filmes, longa-metragem, curta-metragem, أفلام, فيلم, 电影剧, 影片, кино, лента, 映画, ムービー, etc. - Wikimedia presence: 235 sitelinks and dedicated article title "Film". Wikimedia language list includes (full list provided under Key Facts). - Topic identifiers and tags exist for platforms and publishers in multiple languages and national contexts (e.g., Yle topic id 18-204945, NRK topic id 1.94510). ### Parts & Structural Components - Common parts and elements explicitly associated with film: - Motion picture credits (cast/crew listings). - Trailer (promotional short sequences). - Film frame (individual image/frame of the sequence). - Film or TV credits (on-screen credits). - Title sequence. ### Study, Scholarship & Documentation - Academic disciplines that study film: film theory; film studies; sociology of film. - Film is documented and referenced in major encyclopedias and museum vocabularies: Metropolitan Museum of Art Tagging Vocabulary (Cinema), Encyclopædia Britannica (art/motion-picture), Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia (vol. 5), Encyclopedia of China entries. - WikiProject Film maintains film articles and metadata on Wikipedia. ### Communities, Social Platforms & Topic Hubs - Reddit subcommunities connected to film (with qualifiers in source): - r/movies — language: English; purpose: Movie News and Discussion; noted start_time 2008-01-25. - r/TrueFilm — language: English; purpose: TrueFilm: An in-depth discussion of film; noted start_time 2011-10-16. - r/MovieDetails — language: English; noted start_time 2017-06-30. - Other online communities and hubs: Quora topic "Movies"; Stack Exchange site for Movies (https://movies.stackexchange.com); Lemmy community movies@lemmy.world; Fandom wiki "movies" (English). - Topic IDs for social platforms include X/Twitter topic IDs and archived references for topic selection. ### Metadata & Common Properties - A broad set of metadata properties is commonly applied to film instances; a non-exhaustive list from source: P57 (director), (cast), (genre), (publication/release date), (producer), , P58, , , , , , , and many more (complete list provided under "properties_for_this_type"). - The topic has template and category infrastructure on Wikimedia to standardize film metadata: Template:Infobox film and Category:Films. ### Classification Codes & Thesauri - Dewey Decimal: 791.43. - Library of Congress Classification: PN1993–PN1999. - UNSPSC: 90131601. - MeSH tree codes and descriptors are assigned (e.g., J01.897.280.500.598 and MeSH D009040). - Art & Architecture Thesaurus ID: 300136900. - UNESCO Thesaurus ID: concept352. - STW thesaurus for economics exact match: 29301-6. ### Cultural & News Topic Mappings - Film is a mapped news and topic subject across broadcasters and media organizations: BBC topic id cg41ylwvgjyt; ABC News topic film-industry; The Guardian topic uk/film; New York Times subject/movies; New Yorker film topics; NY Post topics "film, films." - Other editorial and topic IDs include Google News topics and national broadcaster topic IDs (NHK, Yle, NRK). ### Notable Example Works & Model Items - The concept is exemplified by canonical film items used as model instances on data platforms: 12 Angry Men; Berlin: Symphony of a Metropolis; Wild Tales; Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope; Elevator to the Gallows. ### Visuals & Icons - Representative visuals and icons include Muybridge animated horse GIF (preferred image) and Fox Movietone still. - Small logo/icon provided: Ic_movie_48px.svg on Wikimedia Commons. ### Cataloging Notes & Miscellany - "Different from" distinctions in datasets clarify the concept of film is different from physical film reel artifacts. - The film topic is included in many national encyclopedias, lexicons, and specialized vocabularies (e.g., gujarati_vishwakosh_entry "ચાલચિત્ર", Lille Norske Leksikon, Encyclopedia of Korean Culture). - Several archival and museum vocabularies have entries describing film as a subject for tagging and collection management. ### Properties & Data Modeling Advice - Items of type film often carry a large set of properties for production, distribution, reception, and rights management. The source lists many P-properties to be used when modeling film instances (see "properties_for_this_type" in Key Facts). ### Related Resources & Portals - Portal:Film (Wikimedia) is the main subject portal. - Template:Infobox film is the primary metadata template for film articles. - Category:Wikipedia categories named after films includes structure for eponymous category management. ### Crosswalks & Equivalent Classes - DBpedia ontology mapping and schema.org mapping provide semantic web crosswalks for film. - The schema.org mapping https://schema.org/Movie is marked as preferred among equivalent class links to make semantic interoperability practical. ### Preservation & Physical Media Note - The definitional phrasing explicitly mentions "stored on film stock," linking the concept to physical media and archival concerns; datasets also distinguish the conceptual class of film from physical carriers such as film reels. ### Additional Identifiers & Topic Tags (selected) - TED topic id: film. - BBC Things id: 2611f753-ece7-47ea-9782-f912bc1e4088. - Yle topic id: 18-204945. - Ávvir topic ids: filmmat, filbma. - Baidu Tieba name: 电影 (id 53159642, point in time 2023-03-01). - Zhihu topic id: 19550429 (label 电影). - Wolfram Language entity type: Movie. - Scribal and thesaurus IDs appear across national projects (asc_leiden_thesaurus_id, etc.). --- This entry compiles the structured identifiers, classification data, community hubs, sample works, and thesaurus mappings provided in the source material. All claims and identifiers are drawn only from the supplied dataset. ## References 1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013 2. YSO-Wikidata mapping project 3. ASC Leiden Thesaurus dataset of 5 June 2018 4. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)