The Thessaloniki Documentary Festival - Images of the 21st Century insists on maintaining a non-competitive character, leaving the choice of best film up to the audience, which gives out the following awards:

i. Two Audience Awards for films over 45' minutes (one Greek and one foreign). They are accompanied by a cash prize of 3,000 Euros each.

ii. Two Audience Awards for films under 45' minutes (one Greek and one foreign). They are accompanied by a cash prize of 2,000 Euros each.

All Greek films having their first public screening, featured in the Official, the Panorama and the TV Portraits Sections, are eligible to compete for the Audience Award for Best Greek film.

For the corresponding Audience Award for Best Foreign Film, all foreign films are eligible, except the ones featured in the Tributes Section.

Two new honorary awards are established this year:

Amnesty International will award the best film in the Human Rights section

WWF will award the best film in the Habitat section.

Moreover, as has become an annual institution, a FIPRESCI Award for Best Greek Documentary and Best Foreign Documentary will be awarded by the International Federation of Film Critics. The commitee, consiting of established professionals, only considers films receiving their Greek premiere at the festival.