Usage Note
Cineasta ends in -ista and so is grammatically common gender: el cineasta or la cineasta depending on the person. It refers specifically to someone who makes films, typically a director or auteur, with a slightly more artistic connotation than director de cine. It is the standard term in Spanish film criticism.
Examples
"La cineasta presentó su película en el festival."
Natural Translation
The filmmaker presented her film at the festival.

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