 Festival poster | |
| Location | West Berlin, Germany |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1951 |
| Awards | Golden Bear: Invitation to the Dance |
| Festival date | 22 June–3 July 1956 |
| Website | Website |
| Berlin International Film Festival chronology | |
The6th annualBerlin International Film Festival was held from 22 June to 3 July 1956.[1] TheFIAPF granted the festival the "A status" during this year,[1] which was previously only reserved for Cannes and Venice.[2] The awards for the first time, were given by an international jury.[1][3]
TheGolden Bear was awarded toInvitation to the Dance directed byGene Kelly.[4] However, this decision by the jury was widely criticized as the film was considered "too shallow" for a Golden Bear. The favourite among many critics was the Finnish entryThe Unknown Soldier byEdvin Laine, which was an anti-war film without any illusions based on a novel byVäinö Linna.[1][3]
The following people were announced as being on the jury for the festival:[5]
The following films were in competition for theGolden Bear awards:[6]
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn Leaves | Robert Aldrich | United States | |
| Before Sundown | Vor Sonnenuntergang | Gottfried Reinhardt | West Germany |
| Donatella | Mario Monicelli | Italy | |
| Invitation to the Dance | Gene Kelly | United States | |
| Kispus | Erik Balling | Denmark | |
| The Legend of the White Serpent | 白夫人の妖恋 | Shirō Toyoda | Japan |
| The Long Arm | Charles Frend | United Kingdom | |
| Richard III | Laurence Olivier | ||
| The Road of Life | El camino de la vida | Alfonso Corona Blake | Mexico |
| Scandal in Sorrento | Pane, amore e... | Dino Risi | Italy |
| The Sorceress | La Sorcière | André Michel | France, Sweden |
| Trapeze | Carol Reed | United States | |
| Uncle Hyacynth | Mi tío Jacinto | Ladislao Vajda | Spain, Italy |
| The Unknown Soldier | Tuntematon sotilas | Edvin Laine | Finland |
| English title | Original title | Director(s) | Production Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| The African Lion | James Algar | United States | |
| Bambuti | Kein Platz für wilde Tiere | Bernhard Grzimek andMichael Grzimek | West Germany |
| ...erwachsen sein dagegen sehr | Wolf Hart | West Germany | |
| Ernst Reuter | Wolfgang Kiepenheuer | West Germany | |
| Hitit güneşi | Sabahattin Eyüboğlu | Turkey | |
| The Long Journey | Geoffrey Collings | United States | |
| Men Against the Arctic | Winston Hibler | United States | |
| Paris la nuit | Jacques Baratier and Jean Valère | France | |
| Rythmetic | Norman McLaren andEvelyn Lambart | Canada | |
| Le Sabotier du Val de Loire | Jacques Demy | France | |
| Spring Comes to Kashmir | Ravi Prakash | India | |
| Les Très riches heures de l'Afrique romaine | Jean Lehérissey | France | |
| Zauber der Natur | Richard Mostler | West Germany | |
The following prizes were awarded by the Jury:[4]
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