Film originates from the usage of film strip, before cameras, around 1900's. Movie is from moving picture. It is the result of the recordings from the film strips. Though can be used as synonyms, film technically is all about the format, and movie is all about the finished product. "Movie" is more commonly used in US for motion picture while "Film" is commonly used in UK. I hope this helps :)

A general rule for the U.S.: In conversation we say movies. People in Hollywood say film. You generally won't hear a guy at the coffee shop say "I'm going to go see that new film that just opened." A film critic will say "The newest film directed by Eastwood is excellent" So in answer to your question, the two are synonyms.

In the way you are using them, they are synonyms. There's a slight difference: "movie" tends to mean "commercial entertainment," "film" tends to mean "the art form." "The film," literally, is a strip of perforated material with images on it. "The movie," literally, is a moving picture that is projected on the screen. Thus, we can say "a reel of film," but not "a reel of movie."