Maria Beatty is a Venezuelan filmmaker who directs, acts, and produces. Her films are often made in black and white and cover various aspects of female sexuality, including BDSM and fetishism. She was inspired by expressionist German cinema, French surrealism, and American film noir. She sometimes stars in her own films, such as The Elegant Spanking (1995) and The Black Glove (1997). In 2007, she won the FICEB Tacón De Aguja Best Director Award for Silken Sleeves.