The VIFF Festival will present seven awards in the following categories:

1. Best Short Film (Less than 40 minutes)
2. Best Short Documentary (Less than 40 minutes)
3. Best Short On Women (Less than 40 minutes )
4. Best Silent Film (Less than 40 minutes )
5. Best Performing Arts (Less than 40 minutes )
6. Best Student Film (Less than 40 minutes )
7. Best Art Film (animation, video art, experimental, and anything else that is relevant to the festival theme, (Less than 40 minutes)

The selection committee members are filmmakers, journalists, actors, cinema teachers, and intercultural dialogue experts. The decision of the committee is final.

The selection process is in two stages: selected and winner films
winners are one for each category:
winners will be awarded a special winner laurel and screened;
selected films are awarded a laurel;
some selected films will be screened too at the suggestion of the Committee.