Amie Thomasson’s conception of the ontology of fiction in terms of abstract artifacts provides an illuminating account of the existence and persistence conditions for fictional objects and a sophisticated defense of realism about fictional characters. The conception was primarily articulated with a focus on literature, where perceptual experiences play a relatively small role. How well does the conception fare when we consider artforms that rely crucially on perceptual experiences and perceptual imagination, such as film? In this paper, I examine this issue and raise some concerns about the abstract artifact conception when it is extended to this realm. I then articulate an empiricist alternative that does not depend on realism about fictional characters, and which is able to make sense of both films and literary practices in a principled way.