The 6th annual

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

was held from 22 June to 3 July 1956. The

FIAPF The FIAPF (Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films; en, International Federation of Film Producers Associations), created in 1933, is an organization composed with 36 member associations from 30 of the leading audio ...

granted the festival the "A status" during this year, which was previously only reserved for Cannes and Venice. The awards for the first time, were given by an international jury. The

Golden Bear The Golden Bear (german: Goldener Bär) is the highest prize awarded for the best film at the Berlin International Film Festival. The bear is the heraldic animal of Berlin, featured on both the coat of arms and flag of Berlin. History The win ...

was awarded to '' Invitation to the Dance'' directed by Gene Kelly. However, this decision by the jury was widely criticized as the fil was considered "too shallow" for a Golden Bear. The favourite among many critics was the Finnish entry '' Tuntematon sotilas'' by

Edvin Laine Edvin Laine (13 July 1905 – 18 November 1989) was a Finnish film director. Laine was born Bovellán. Laine directed a comedy ''Aaltoska orkaniseeraa'' and family film ''Sleeping Beauty (1949 film), Sleeping Beauty'', both in 1949. ''The U ...

, which was an anti-war film without any illusions based on a novel by

Väinö Linna Väinö Linna (; 20 December 1920 – 21 April 1992) was a Finnish author. He gained literary fame with his third novel, ''Tuntematon sotilas'' ( ''The Unknown Soldier'', published in 1954), and consolidated his position with the trilogy ''Tää ...

Jury

The following people were announced as being on the jury for the festival: International feature film jury * Marcel Carné, director and screenwriter (France) - Jury President * Bill Luckwell, producer (United Kingdom) * Giuseppe Vittorio Sampieri, director and producer (Italy) * Kashiko Kawakita, special effects director (Japan) * Leo J. Horster, entrepreneur (United States) * Ilse Urbach, authoress (West Germany) * Ludwig Berger, director and screenwriter (West Germany) International documentary and short jury * Otto Sonnenfeld, producer (Israel) - Jury President * D. Gualberto Fernández, (Uruguay) * Sarukkai Gopalan, (India) *

Jan Hulsker Jan Hulsker (2 October 1907, The Hague – 9 November 2002, Vancouver) was a Dutch art historian especially noted for his work on Vincent van Gogh. He studied Dutch literature in Leiden and was promoted with a thesis on the author Aart van der Lee ...

, art historian (Netherlands) * Fritz Kempe, photographer (West Germany)

Films in competition

The following films were in competition for the

awards:

Key

Awards

The following prizes were awarded by the Jury: International jury awards *

: '' Invitation to the Dance'' by Gene Kelly *

Silver Bear for Best Director The Silver Bear for Best Director (german: Silberner Bär/Bester Regie) is an award presented annually at the Berlin International Film Festival since 1956. It is given for the best achievement in directing and is chosen by the International Jury ...

: Robert Aldrich for '' Autumn Leaves'' *

Silver Bear for Best Actress The Silver Bear for Best Actress (german: Silberner Bär/Beste Darstellerin) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chos ...

Elsa Martinelli Elsa Martinelli (born Elisa Tia; 30 January 1935 – 8 July 2017) was an Italian actress and fashion model. Life and career Born Elisa Tia in Grosseto, Tuscany, she moved to Rome with her family. In 1953, she was discovered by Roberto Capu ...

for '' Donatella'' *

Silver Bear for Best Actor The Silver Bear for Best Actor (german: Silberner Bär/Bester Darsteller) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chosen by ...

: Burt Lancaster for ''

Trapeze A trapeze is a short horizontal bar hung by ropes or metal straps from a ceiling support. It is an aerial apparatus commonly found in circus performances. Trapeze acts may be static, spinning (rigged from a single point), swinging or flying, an ...

'' * Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution: André Michel for '' La Sorcière'' * Silver Bear for an Outstanding Single Achievement:

Charles Frend Charles Herbert Frend (21 November 1909, Pulborough, Sussex – 8 January 1977, London) was an English film director and editor, best known for his films produced at Ealing Studios. He began directing in the early 1940s and is known for suc ...

for '' The Long Arm'' *

Silver Bear The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fes ...

: '' Richard III'' by Laurence Olivier * Honourable Mention (Director): '' El camino de la vida'' by

Alfonso Corona Blake Alfonso Corona Blake (2 January 1919 – 21 January 1999) was a Mexican film director and screenwriter. He directed 27 films between 1956 and 1971. His film ''The Road of Life'' won the Honourable Mention (Director) award at the 6th Berlin In ...

* Honourable Mention (Colour): '' Byaku fujin no yoren'' by

Shirō Toyoda was a Japanese film director and screenwriter who directed over 60 films during his career spanning 50 years. Career Born in Kyoto, Toyoda moved to Tokyo after finishing high school and studied scriptwriting under the pioneering film director ...

* Honourable Mention (Best Humorous Film): '' Pane, amore e...'' by

Dino Risi Dino Risi (23 December 1916 – 7 June 2008) was an Italian film director. With Mario Monicelli, Luigi Comencini, Nanni Loy and Ettore Scola, he was one of the masters of ''commedia all'italiana''. Biography Risi was born in Milan. He had an o ...

Documentaries and short films jury awards *

(Documentaries): '' No Place for Wild Animals'' by Bernhard Grzimek and

Michael Grzimek Michael Grzimek (12 April 1934 – 10 January 1959) was a West German zoologist, conservationist and filmmaker. Life Michael Grzimek was the second son of Bernhard Grzimek and Hildegard Prüfer. Already as a child, he assisted his father in ...

(Documentaries): ''

The African Lion ''The African Lion'' is a 1955 American documentary film directed by James Algar. It was released by Walt Disney Productions as part of its '' True-Life Adventures'' series. The film, which was shot over a 30-month period in Kenya, Tanganyika and ...

'' by

James Algar James Algar (June 11, 1912 – February 26, 1998) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He worked at Walt Disney Productions for 43 years and received the Disney Legends award in 1998. He was born in Modesto, California ...

* Short Film Golden Bear: '' Paris la nuit'' by Jacques Baratier and Jean Valère * Silver Bear for Best Short Film: ''ex aequo''
'' Hitit güneşi'' by

Sabahattin Eyüboğlu Sabahattin Eyüboğlu (1908 – January 13, 1973) was a Turkish writer, essayist, translator and film producer. Biography Sabahatttin Eyüboğlu was born in 1908 on the Black Sea coast town of Akçaabat near Trabzon. His father Mehmet Rah ...

'' Spring Comes to Kashmir'' by Ravi Prakash
'' Rythmetic'' by Norman McLaren and

Evelyn Lambart Evelyn Lambart (23 July 1914 – 3 April 1999) was a Canadian animator and technical director with the National Film Board of Canada, known for her early collaborations with Norman McLaren as well as her later films, as sole director. In 19 ...

* Honorable mention (Short Documentary or Cultural Film):
'' ...erwachsen sein dagegen sehr'' by Wolf Hart
'' Le Sabotier du Val de Loire'' by Jacques Demy
'' The Long Journey'' by Geoffrey Collings Independent jury awards * OCIC Award: '' Tuntematon sotilas'' by

* OCIC Award, special mention: '' El camino de la vida'' by

Audience vote *

: ''

Vor Sonnenuntergang ''Before Sundown'' (german: Vor Sonnenuntergang) is a 1956 West German drama film directed by Gottfried Reinhardt and starring Hans Albers, Annemarie Düringer and Martin Held. At the 6th Berlin International Film Festival it won the Golden Bea ...

'' by

Gottfried Reinhardt Gottfried Reinhardt (20 March 1913 – 19 July 1994) was an Austrian-born American film director and producer. Biography Reinhardt was born in Berlin, the son of the Austrian theater director Max Reinhardt (until 1904: Max Goldmann), manage ...

: '' Mi tío Jacinto'' by

Ladislao Vajda Ladislao Vajda (born Weisz László; 18 August 1906, Budapest – 25 March 1965, Barcelona) was a Hungarian-Spanish film director who made films in Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Italy and West Germany. Biography He was born in Budapest, ...

* Bronze Bear: ''

'' by

Carol Reed Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director and producer, best known for '' Odd Man Out'' (1947), '' The Fallen Idol'' (1948), ''The Third Man'' (1949), and ''Oliver!'' (1968), for which he was awarded the ...

References

External links

6th Berlin International Film Festival 1956Berlin International Film Festival:1956
at

Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berlin International Film Festival, 6th 06 1956 film festivals 1956 in West Germany 1950s in Berlin