1956 Best Film
Les Assassins du Dimanche
Director: Alex Joffe
Producer: G. De La Grandiere
France

1956 Best Actor
Un Missionnaire (Yves Massard)
Director: Maurice Cloche
Producer: Maurice Cloche
France

1956 Highlights

• Hundreds wait in a torrential downpour from 7am on Monday 19th March for season tickets. The total no of season tickets, 1,900, were sold out completely in one day.
• Hundreds crowd the platform as the gaily decorated 'Star Express' train pulls into Glanmire train station before noon. Travelling on the train are Peter Finch, Maureen Swanson, June Thorburn, John Gregson, Tony Wright and Noel Purcell. Group were taken by Rolls Royce to Midleton.
• Ist Film Festival opens on Tuesday, May 22nd 1956
• 1st Film shown 'A Town Like Alice' by Joesph Jack Lee
• Festival formally declared open by Mr Liam Cosgrave, Minister for External Affairs who said 'I trust this will be the first of a series of such festivals which will bring to our shores the work of the best foreign cinematic artists'.
• Films come from Israel, England, USA, Pakistan, Belgium, France, Italy, New Zealand, Japan, Canada, Norway, India, Egypt and Ireland
• Peter Finch prior to screening of 'A Town Like Alice' said: "Cannes was, Venice is and Cork will be the fairest city of the three"
• At the closing cermony awards were presented to the winners by President of Ireland, Sean T. O'Kelly
• Award winners given a statue of St Finbarre designed by the well known Cork sculpture Seamus Murphy