11th Berlin International Film Festival

The 11th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 23 June to 4 July 1961.

The Golden Bear was awarded to the Italian film La Notte directed by Michelangelo Antonioni.

Juries
The following people were announced as being on the jury for the festival:

Main Competition

 * James Quinn, British producer - Jury President
 * France Roche, French journalist, film critic, actress and screenwriter
 * Marc Turfkruyer, Belgian film critic
 * Satyajit Ray, Indian filmmaker
 * Gian Luigi Rondi, Italian film critic
 * Hirotsugu Ozaki, Japanese theatre critic
 * Nicholas Ray, American filmmaker
 * Falk Harnack, West-German filmmaker
 * Hans Schaarwächter, West-German journalist and writer

Documentary and Short Films Competition

 * Willem de Vogel, Dutch actor - Jury President
 * Else Goelz, West-German journalist
 * Mohammed Gamal Eldin Rifaat, Emirati
 * Luis Gómez Mesa, Spanish film critic and writer
 * Max Lippmann, West-German film critic
 * Ingeborg Lyche, Norwegian chairperson of the Statens Filmsentral
 * Flávio R. Tambellini, Brazilian producer

Main Competition
The following films were in competition for the Golden Bear award:

Official Awards
The following prizes were awarded by the Jury:

Main Competition

 * Golden Bear: La Notte by Michelangelo Antonioni
 * Silver Bear: Makkers Staakt uw Wild Geraas by Fons Rademakers
 * Silver Bear for Best Director: Bernhard Wicki for The Miracle of Father Malachia
 * Silver Bear for Best Actress: Anna Karina for A Woman Is a Woman
 * Silver Bear for Best Actor: Peter Finch for No Love for Johnnie
 * Silver Bear Extraordinary Jury Prize: The Coachman by Kang Dae-jin
 * Silver Bear Extraordinary Jury Prize: A Woman Is a Woman by Jean-Luc Godard

Documentary and Short Films Competition

 * Golden Bear (Documentaries): Third Side of the Coin by Chris Marker
 * Silver Bear special prize (Documentaries): Dreamland of Desire by Wolfgang Müller-Sehn
 * Short Film Golden Bear: Gesicht von der Stange? by Raimund Ruehl
 * Silver Bear for Best Short Film: Chimichimito by José Martín
 * Silver Bear Extraordinary Jury Prize (Short film):
 * Hold Back the Sea by George Sluizer
 * Lo specchio, la tigre e la pianura by Raffaele Andreassi
 * Sirènes by Emile Degelin
 * Morning on the Lièvre by David Bairstow

FIPRESCI Award

 * La Notte by Michelangelo Antonioni

OCIC Award

 * Question 7 by Stuart Rosenberg

C.I.D.A.L.C. Award

 * La patota by Daniel Tinayre

Youth Film Award

 * Best Feature Film Suitable for Young People: Question 7 by Stuart Rosenberg
 * Best Documentary Film Suitable for Young People: Third Side of the Coin by Chris Marker
 * Best Short Film Suitable for Young People: Hold Back the Sea by George Sluizer
 * Honorable Mention: Gesicht von der Stange? by Raimund Ruehl