Cinephilia is the term used to refer to a passionate interest in films, film theory, and film criticism. A person with a passionate interest in cinema is called a cinephile or, informally, a film buff.
In English, "cinephile" is sometimes used interchangeably with the word cineaste, though in the original French the term cinéaste refers to a cinephile who is also a filmmaker. Throughout the history of cinema, there have been numerous directors who developed their understanding of cinema through filmgoing and participation in cinephile communities and organizations instead of within the formal settings of either a film school or a film studio. Directors who began as cinephiles include Sofia Coppola, Guillermo del Toro, Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Satyajit Ray, Quentin Tarantino, Jacques Rivette, Ed Wood, Francis Ford Coppola, Brian De Palma, Paul Thomas Anderson, Wim Wenders, Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, Coen brothers, Noah Baumbach, Edgar Wright and Ari Aster.
