Cinema as Fine Art: An Open Letter to the Art World
For over a century, cinema has stood as one of humanity’s greatest artistic achievements. Yet, while paintings, sculptures, and installations are revered as fine art, the masterpieces of filmmakers like Tarkovsky, Bergman, and Antonioni remain excluded from major art institutions and collections.
This open letter is a call to the art world—museum directors, collectors, and patrons—to recognize cinema as a collectible fine art, to enshrine the greatest works of film in museums alongside the masterpieces of painting and sculpture. It is time for cinema to claim its rightful place in the pantheon of artistic excellence.
An Open Letter
The world has long recognized the genius of Rembrandt, Picasso, and Rothko. Museums and collectors have enshrined their works as cultural treasures. But what of cinema? Can a Tarkovsky frame not hold the same meditative depth as a Vermeer painting? Does Bergman’s meticulous composition not rival that of the old masters? And yet, film remains an orphan in the halls of fine art, its status reduced to entertainment, ephemeral and expendable.
We at The Cinema Sanctum refuse to accept this blind spot any longer.
This is why we have published an Open Letter to the Art World, a bold call to institutions, galleries, and collectors to recognize cinema as a fine art worthy of preservation, exhibition, and high-value collection. This is not a theoretical argument—it is an urgent redefinition of how we perceive and safeguard cinematic masterpieces.
In this letter, we challenge elite museums, auction houses, and art patrons to acknowledge what should have been obvious all along: the great works of cinema belong in the same realm as painting, sculpture, and architecture. A signed Bergman script, a Tarkovsky storyboard, or a Kubrick cinematographic print should be considered rare artifacts, just as a Van Gogh sketch or a Giacometti sculpture is.
The art world has spent centuries defining what belongs in its sanctum. It is time for cinema to take its rightful place.
We invite you to read the full Open Letter to the Art World [insert link] and share it widely. Let us start a conversation that the gatekeepers of fine art can no longer ignore.
Cinema is not just moving images. It is high art. It is history. It is legacy.
Read the full Open Letter here: manifesto page
Let us know what you think in the comments!