6th Berlin International Film Festival

The 6th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 22 June to 3 July 1956. The FIAPF 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 was awarded to Invitation to the Dance directed by Gene Kelly. 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 entry The Unknown Soldier by Edvin Laine, which was an anti-war film without any illusions based on a novel by Väinö Linna.

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

Main Competition

 * Marcel Carné, French filmmaker - Jury President
 * Bill Luckwell, British producer
 * Giuseppe Vittorio Sampieri, Italian director and producer
 * Kashiko Kawakita, Japanese special effects director
 * Leo J. Horster, American entrepreneur
 * Ilse Urbach, West-German author
 * Ludwig Berger, West-German filmmaker

Documentary and Short Film Competitions

 * Otto Sonnenfeld, Israeli producer - Jury President
 * D. Gualberto Fernández, Uruguayan
 * Sarukkai Gopalan, Indian
 * Jan Hulsker, Dutch art historian
 * Fritz Kempe, West-German photographer

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

Official Awards
The following prizes were awarded by the Jury:

Main Competition

 * Golden Bear: Invitation to the Dance by Gene Kelly
 * Silver Bear for Best Director: Robert Aldrich for Autumn Leaves
 * Silver Bear for Best Actress: Elsa Martinelli for Donatella
 * Silver Bear for Best Actor: Burt Lancaster for Trapeze
 * Silver Bear for an Outstanding Artistic Contribution: André Michel for La Sorcière
 * Silver Bear for an Outstanding Single Achievement: Charles Frend for The Long Arm
 * Silver Bear: Richard III by Laurence Olivier
 * Honourable Mention (Director): The Road of Life by Alfonso Corona Blake
 * Honourable Mention (Colour): The Legend of the White Serpent by Shirō Toyoda
 * Honourable Mention (Best Humorous Film): Scandal in Sorrento by Dino Risi

Documentary and Short Film Competitions

 * Golden Bear (Documentaries): Bambuti by Bernhard Grzimek and Michael Grzimek
 * Silver Bear (Documentaries): The African Lion by James Algar
 * Short Film Golden Bear: Paris la nuit by Jacques Baratier and Jean Valère
 * Silver Bear for Best Short Film:
 * Hitit güneşi by Sabahattin Eyüboğlu
 * Spring Comes to Kashmir by Ravi Prakash
 * Rythmetic by Norman McLaren and Evelyn Lambart
 * 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

OCIC Award

 * The Unknown Soldier by Edvin Laine
 * Special Mention: The Road of Life by Alfonso Corona Blake

Audience Vote

 * 1st place: Before Sundown by Gottfried Reinhardt
 * 2nd place: Uncle Hyacynth by Ladislao Vajda
 * 3rd place: Trapeze by Carol Reed