As the Italian Global Series opens its second edition in Rimini and Riccione, the Fellini Museum is hosting “inVisibili. Le Pioniere del Cinema” (Invisible: The Pioneers of Cinema), an exhibition dedicated to the women who helped shape the early history of film.
After its successful debut in Rome in May 2025 and a stop at New York’s Lincoln Center, the exhibition has now arrived in Rimini as part of the Italian Global Series program. Created by Lucia Borgonzoni, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Culture, and curated by Archivio Luce Cinecittà, the project brings renewed attention to the actresses, directors, producers, screenwriters and artists whose work helped build the language of cinema, but whose stories were too often left out of film history.
The exhibition comes to the Fellini Museum during the second edition of the Italian Global Series, an event focused on TV series. The festival is directed by Marco Spagnoli and backed by Undersecretary of Culture Lucia Borgonzoni. It is organized by APA (Audiovisual Producers Association) along with Cinecittà, and runs with support from:
The festival is organized with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Emilia-Romagna Region and APT Servizi Emilia-Romagna, the Cities of Rimini and Riccione, and AGIS, with financial support from SIAE, Enel, and Gruppo FS.
The Rimini opening of “inVisibili. Le Pioniere del Cinema” is scheduled for Wednesday, July 2, at 6:30 p.m. at the Fellini Museum in Piazzetta San Martino, with local officials and guests from the Italian Global Series in attendance. The exhibition will then be open to the public from July 3 to August 30, 2026.
While the original show featured thirty women, the Rimini stop focuses on a smaller selection, highlighting the stories of thirteen important but mostly forgotten women. Visitors can discover their work through old photos, vintage magazines, documents, scripts, and rediscovered films.
The Featured Women: The exhibition highlights figures like Elvira Notari (considered Italy’s first female director), Francesca Bertini, Adriana Costamagna, Frieda Klug, Nilde Baracchi, Paola Pezzaglia Greco, Elettra Raggio, Maria Roasio, Daisy Sylvan, Esterina Zuccarone, Elvira Giallanella, Charlotte Reiniger, and Annie Vivanti.
These actresses, directors, producers, screenwriters, business owners, and authors played a major role in building the movie industry and shaping early filmmaking between the late 1800s and the early 1900s.
Statement from the Ministry of Culture
Lucia Borgonzoni, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Culture, said:
“When cinema was taking its very first steps, women were right there, helping to guide the way with their vision, talent, and determination. Yet, the history of those years passed down to us barely mentions them. With this exhibition, we want to give a voice back to these early film history makers. The deep research into old documents done before setting up this show has brought extraordinary stories to light. It brings back a forgotten, all-female chapter of our past to everyone’s memory.”
A Lasting Project
More than just a simple show, “inVisibili. Le Pioniere del Cinema” is a cultural project that gives proper credit to a generation of women who helped build modern filmmaking. The selection shown in Rimini offers a deep look into these stories, connecting the roots of early cinema with modern storytelling. Part of the Italian Global Series, this event adds a lot to Rimini‘s summer cultural scene and puts these important women back where they belong in Italian and international film history.
