The 56th Berlin International Film Festival was held from 9 to 19 February 2006. The festival opened with Snow Cake by Marc Evans. Digitally restored version of Sam Peckinpah's 1972 film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid served as the closing film. British actress Charlotte Rampling was selected as the head of the jury. The Golden Bear was awarded to Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams directed by Jasmila Žbanić. The retrospective was dedicated to the film actresses of 1950s, titled ''Dream Girls. Film Stars in the 1950s'' was shown at the festival. More than 186,000 tickets were sold at the festival with visitors from 120 countries, including 3,800 journalists, attended the festival.

Juries

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

Main Competition

Best First Feature Award

Short Films Competition

Official Sections

Main Competition

The following films were selected for the main competition:

Official Awards

Main Competition

The following prizes were awarded by the Jury:

Honorary Golden Bear

Golden Bear for Best Short Film

Berlinale Camera

Best First Feature

Independent Awards

Panorama Audience Award

Crystal Bear

Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk Grand Prix

Teddy

FIPRSECI Prize

Prize of the Ecumenical Jury

C.I.C.A.E. Award

Netpac Award

Prix UIP Berlin

Label Europa Cinemas

Caligari Film Award

DIALOGUE en Perspective

Talent Movie of the Week

Berlin Today Award

Score Competition

Manfred Salzgeber Award

DAAD Short Film Award

Peace Film Award

Amnesty International Film Prize

Wolfgang Staudte Award

Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas

Femina-Film-Prize

Reader Jury of the "Berliner Morgenpost"

Reader Jury of the "Berliner Zeitung"

Reader Jury of the "Siegessäule"