Ion Filotti Cantacuzino

Cantacuzino's first publication is the short story "De Amore Paradox" published first in 1929 in the magazine "Excelsior". It was reprinted as a separate volume in 1935 with 18 illustrations by W. Siegfried. Interested in cinematography he started his activity as film critic in 1931 when he was appointed by "Radio România" and started the first broadcast critics in Romania. He also contributed with film critics to various Romanian magazines. In 1934 he also wrote his first screenplay for a documentary film "Romania" – directed by Paul Călinescu and Jean Mihail. In 1935 he published his first volume about films: "The Fairytale factory" (Uzina de basme) The same year, he published his only play "Dri-dri" which was awarded the prize of the "Society of Romanian Dramaturgists" (Societatea Autorilor Dramatici Români) for one-act plays.

In 1941, Cantacuzino was appointed director of the National Office of Cinematography, which had been created in the late 1930s. The main activity of the Office was to release newsreels about the World War II. Besides coordinating the activity of the office, Cantacuzino wrote the screenplays, and directed and produced documentaries having cultural subjects: "The Peleş Castle" (Castelul Peleş) – 1941 or "Old Customs" (Datini din străbuni) – 1942 or related to the war: "Romania in war against bolshevism" (România în lupta contra bolșevismului) – 1941, "Our sacred war" (Războiul nostru sfânt) – 1942, "We" (Noi) – 1942. In 1943 Cantacuzino produced the film "Stormy Night" (O noapte furtunoasă), a comedy based on a play by Ion Luca Caragiale directed by Jean Georgescu. He then created the Romanian-Italian film production and distribution company Cineromit. The first coproduction was "Odessa in Flames" (Odessa in fiamme) directed by Carmine Gallone on a screenplay by Gherardo Gherardi and Nicolae Kiriţescu. The next production of "Cineromit" was scheduled to be produced in Romania. A second film, "The white squadron" (Squadriglia bianca), directed by Romanian director Ion Sava was released in 1944. The same year, Ion Cantacuzino, as producer, selected Jean Georgescu to direct the film "A Winter Night's Dream" (Visul unei nopți de iarnă) based on a play by Tudor Mușatescu. Due to the war, the film could be completed only in 1945. Another project which Ion Cantacuzino was negotiating with the Italians was a historical drama on the life of Stephen the Great, based on a screenplay by Camil Petrescu, starring Amedeo Nazzari and Alida Valli. This project had to be abandoned due to the war. Cantacuzino was also planning to create, in cooperation with the Italians, a center for the production of feature films in Romania. The plans for the construction of the center had been designed by architect Octav Doicescu and the Italian government had promised to provide the equipment. The project could not be finalized due to the war.