Film is still the best when it comes to absolute image quality. Film more closely recreates the way our eye and brain 'sees' a bright area that is glowing with light (highlight areas) and can still capture a wider contrast range at a far lower cost and do it in a way that is more pleasing to the eye than with digital cameras as they function now. I believe that digital cameras will eventually change and come up with their equivalent look and functionality but as for right now the way digital sensors currently operate and the way their software is currently designed to function doesn't recreate this look of a broad range of natural looking graduations and deep colors without having both ultra bleeding edge, incredibly complex and expensive (and often fragile) technology and construction.
>If you like taking photos of places/landscapes or people in natural, widely varying lighting situations and high quality is more important than high quantity, then film is your best bet. Another advantage isn't really the film itself as much as how the process of taking a picture is changed when you can't get instant feedback. This change of workflow forces you to preconceive the image and when trying to become both a competent photographer and artist, being able to conceive of and plan your work in your imagination is possibly the most valuable skill you can have. A perfect example of this is Dale Chihuly the glass sculptor. He cannot work the glass himself anymore due to his shoulder injuries but because he can conceive the sculptures and work with assistants to create them.
>If fast paced, high quantity, controlled lighting, commercial photography is your business, then a move to digital makes sense where you have to turn around work ultra fast, you can control the environment and the client can influence the overall look of your work (and you're getting paid enough to play 'keep-up' with technology).
Even if you are a commercial photographer and fall into the latter category I think it's best to keep film in the picture by using it in your personal work at least to experiment if nothing else.
These are my photographs that I create for fun and to serve as documents of aspects of my life. I don't claim them to be great works of art and certainly I don't think of my photography to be a serious pursuit such as my drawing and sculpting but they serve as creative source of fun and to further my other artistic skills (allowing me to practice, framing/cinematography, helping to hone my painting and sculpting eye). This type of photography never was satisfying for me until I rediscovered film.
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