What’s Next for Jayden? wins Best Documentary Feature at the 8th annual New York Long Island Film Festival

After winning Best Documentary Feature at the 8th annual New York Long Island Film Festival, What’s Next for Jayden? will continue its run in select screenings and expand its advocacy reach as a broader advocacy platform to raise awareness and champion related causes. Directed by Sal Del Giudice and written by Arielle Shorr, What’s Next for Jayden follows the unfiltered life of a single mother and her young son who lives with Level 3 autism. At the center is Melissa Aguanno, a Long Island criminal defense attorney and Jayden’s mother, who balances a demanding legal career with 24/7 caregiving and the extraordinary journey they navigate together. As the producer and director, Sal wanted to make a film that didn’t simply tell their story but allowed people to experience the reality of their everyday lives—the challenges, the uncertainty, the exhaustion, the isolation, but also the incredible love, small victories, laughter, and moments of connection that can so easily go unseen.