A short documentary film titled "Mukha Silpa, The Mask-Making Tradition of Majuli" by Annanya Bhuyan was showcased at the AGON International Archaeological and Cultural Doc Fest held in Athens, Greece. The festival took place from May 20 to May 26, and the documentary, based on the mask-making tradition of the river island Majuli, was featured prominently.
The film highlights the history and contemporary relevance of the mask-making tradition initiated by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev in the 16th century. Notably, "Mukha Silpa, The Mask Making Tradition of Majuli" is the first Indian film selected and screened at the AGON International Archaeological and Cultural Doc Fest.
Directed and produced by Annanya Bhuyan, the 16-minute and 19-second documentary focuses on this unique craft. Annanya Bhuyan is a researcher in folklore studies under the Cluster Innovation Centre at Delhi University.
The cinematography for the film was done by Ankur Ray, with editing and color grading by Krishna Mohanta and Dhanajit Das. Sound mixing was handled by Debajit Gain, background music by Saurabh Mahanta, and the script was written by Kalpataru Gogoi. This marks Annanya Bhuyan's debut in both directing and producing a film.
Since its filming in 2023, the documentary has garnered numerous national and international awards and has been showcased in various venues. It won the Best Short Film at the International Film Festival of Short Films on Culture and Tourism, Best Documentary at the West Bengal Short Film Festival, Best Documentary at the Global Independent Film Festival of India, Best Documentary at the Hummingbird Film Festival, and Second Best Documentary at the North East India International Film Festival. Additionally, it has been screened at several film festivals in countries such as Turkey and Italy.
