Errol – always at the forefront of things!
“After the Berlinale was officially given the same status as the festivals in Cannes and Venice in 1955, the festival was able to convene its first international jury in 1956. This jury awarded both a “Golden Bear” and “Silver Bears.” The president of the first International Feature Film Jury in 1956 was the French director Marcel Carné. Within just a few years, the Berlinale established itself on the international festival scene, and as early as 1959, 53 countries sent films to the festival.
Major stars like Gary Cooper, Sophia Loren, Richard Widmark, Jean Gabin, Henry Fonda, Errol Flynn, Cary Grant, Jean-Paul Belmondo, and Rita Hayworth were guests in the Berlinale’s early years. Along with the event’s glamour, however, the festival also showcased new cinematic trends. Directors like Akira Kurosawa, Ingmar Bergman, Satyajit Ray, Roman Polanski, and the “Nouvelle Vague” directors Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut, and Claude Chabrol enjoyed their first international successes in Berlin.”
— Maria
