The closing ceremony of the 61st Locarno International Film Festival took place on Saturday, August 16th 2008 at the Piazza Grande. The announcement of the Official Awards 2008 was followed by the screening of BACK SOON, a French / Islandic comedy by Solveig Anspach, as a World Premiere.

Golden Leopard
PARQUE VIA by Enrique Rivero, Mexico

Special Jury Prize 
33 SCENY Z ZYCIA (33 Scenes from Life) by Malgoska Szumowska, Germany/Poland

Best Director
for ELLE VEUT LE CHAOS, Canada Leopard for Best Actress  Ilaria Occhini in MAR NERO by Federico Bondi, Italy/Romania/France

Leopard for Best Actor 
Tayanç Ayaydin in THE MARKET – A TALE OF TRADE by Ben Hopkins, Germany/UK/Turkey/Kazakhstan

C.P. Company Golden Leopard / Filmmakers of the Present Competition
LA FORTERESSE by Fernand Melgar, Switzerland

Ciné Cinéma Special Jury Prize / Filmmakers of the Present Competition
ALICIA EN EL PAÍS di Esteban Larraín, Chile

Leopard for the Best First Feature
MÄRZ by Händl Klaus, Austria (International Competition)

Golden Leopard
SRG SSR idée suisse Prize for the International Leopard of Tomorrow Competition
DEZ ELEFANTES by Eva Randolph, Brazil

Silver Leopard
Eastman Kodak Company Prize for the International Leopard of Tomorrow
KAUPUNKILAISIA by Juho Kuosmanen, Finland

Golden Leopard
IKEA Prize for the Leopards of Tomorrow National Competition 
LA DÉLOGEUSE by Julien Rouyet, Switzerland

Silver Leopard
Eastman Kodak Company Prize for the

Leopards of Tomorrow National Competition 
UN DIA Y NADA by Lorenz Merz, Switzerland

Prix du Public UBS
SON OF RAMBOW by Garth Jennings, UK/France/Germany

Variety Piazza Grande Award
BACK SOON by Sólveig Anspach, Island/France