That's different because a film affects how the light is captured and displayed, along with how the chemicals are used to process it. A filter is editing a differently captured image, and I doubt someone using VSCO is shooting in RAW.
Agree with scoble, film choice is as much about looks as filters, it's just another way to change how a photo looks. Same with lense choices and light setup, different means to achieve different visual outcomes.
Techincally they are filter.
Would you argue that choosing says, a Kodak Portra 160 film would make the photo less visually appealing?