This isn't a very big factor in the success of smaller, lesser-known and/or indie films, but something that helps film is the existence of scholarly and professional critique of the medium. And I think that stuff just existing eventually filters out into the general public and creates at least some important niches that are searching for "auteur" or artistic productions.
And post-release, long-term appreciation for games seems to be harder for games for the same reason that developing a formal university level Game Studies program would be difficult: games require way more effort and time (and sometimes even skill) to consume than film, music or writing.
