For a second year running, the winner of Locarno's Golden Leopard took everyone by surprise: Pakistani filmmaker Sabiha Sumar's Silent Waters (Khamosh Pani) came away with the top honour after festival-goers had been putting their money on Korea's Kim Ki-Duk going for gold with his latest film Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring.

In addition to being awarded the Golden Leopard Silent Waters also received the Leopard for Best Actress - which female lead Kirron Kher shared with Thirteen's Holly Hunter and Maria's Diana Dumbrava - the prize of the Ecumenical Jury, and special mentions from the Junior Jury and the International Federation of Cinema Clubs' jury. The Pakistani-French-German co-production is being handled internationally by Les Films du Losange which will be releasing the film in France, with Pegasos Film in Germany and Frenetic Films in Switzerland.

New talents from Eastern Europe were also recognised by the official jury, chaired by journalist Franck Nouchi, with the awarding of its Special Jury Prize to Romania's Calin Netzer for the hard-hitting drama Maria and the Silver Leopard for second best film to Pjer Zalica for his tragicomedy Fuse (Gori Vatra) (which was picked up by Flach Pyramide International for world sales during the festival). Maria also came away with a Leopard for Best Actor for lead actor Serban Ionescu as well as sharing the Best Actress Leopard and having a special mention from the Junior Jury, while Fuse received one of Junior Jury's prizes and a special mention from the CICAE/Arte jury.

Although Kim's film did not figure in the official jury's line-up of honours, Spring, Summer.. did not leave Locarno empty-handed. It picked up four prizes: the International Federation of Cinema Clubs' Don Quixote Award as well as awards from the Netpac, CICAE/Arte and the Junior juries.

List of main prize-winners

Official Jury
Golden Leopard - Silent Waters (Khamosh Pani) by Sabiha Sumar (Pakistan/France/Germany)
Special Jury Prize - Maria by Calin Netzer (Romania/Germany/France)
Silver Leopard - Gori Vatra (Fuse) by Pjer Zalica (Bosnia-Herzogovina/Austria)
Silver Leopard - Thirteen by Catherine Hardwicke (USA)
Leopard for the Best Actress - shared equally between: Holly Hunter (Thirteen), Diana Dumbrava (Maria), Kirron Kher (Silent Waters)
Leopard for the Best Actor - Serban Ionescu (Maria)
Special Mentions - Amazing Story (Onna Rihatsushi No Koi) by Masahiro Kobayashi (Japan) and Tiny Snowflakes (Danehaye Rize Barf) by Alireza Amini (Iran)

Junior Jury prizes to: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring by Kim Ki-Duk; Au Sud Des Nuages by Jean-Francois Amiguet; Gori Vatra by Pjer Zalica; and Tiny Snowflakes by Alireza Amini.
FIPRESCI Prize: Sexual Dependency (Dependencia Sexual) by Rodrigo Bellott
Ecumenical Jury Prize : Silent Waters by Sabiha Sumar
Don Quixote Prize: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring by Kim Ki-Duk
CICAE/ARTE Prize: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring by Kim Ki-Duk
Netpac Prize: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...and Spring by Kim Ki-Duk
Prix du Public UBS 2003: The Miracle Of Bern by Soenke Wortmann