Berlin International Film Festival 1954
The 1954 Berlin International Film Festival took place from June 18 to June 29, 1954.
Summary
Richard Widmark , Jean Marais , Curd Jürgens , Vittorio de Sica , Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida were the big stars who visited the Berlinale in unprecedented numbers. Again, the bears were awarded by the audience, with actor films making the running. Once again, some of today's highly regarded films went without a prize: The wonderful power (Magnificent Obsession) by Douglas Sirk and Akira Kurosawas Once Really (Ikiru) were among them, with Kurosawa winning at least one of the special prizes from the Berlin Senate.
Budget cuts were also debated in the run-up to the Berlinale in 1954, and again it was only thanks to the self-sacrificing work of festival director Alfred Bauer that the Berlinale had a reasonably solid budget. Not insignificant for the remarkably vague political and thus financial security of the festival was undoubtedly that an all too obvious involvement of the federal government would have violated the neutral status of Berlin and resulted in political irritation at the highest level.
competition
The winning film is highlighted in orange.
Award winners
Golden bear
- The master of the house is me (Hobson's Choice)
Silver bear
- Bread, love and fantasy (Pane, amore e fantasia)
Bronze bear
- The renegade (Le défroqué)
Large gold plaque
- The Living Desert (The Living Desert)
Large silver plaque
- The great adventure (Det stora aventyret)
Large bronze plaque
- Golden Age - Old Flemish Art (Een gouden eeuw-de kunst der Vlaamse primitieven)
Special award from the Berlin Senate
- Walt Disney "for his long-term support of the festival with the best films of his production".
- Really live once (Ikiru)
- Caught in the deep (La grande speranza)
- Sinhá Moça - Revolt of the Slaves (Sinhá Moça)
OCIC award
- Caught in the deep (La grande speranza)
- Special mention: The Apostate (Le défroqué)
- Special mention: The great adventure (Det stora aventyret)
literature
- Wolfgang Jacobsen: 50 Years of the Berlinale - International Film Festival 1951–2000