Teacher Janet Mino (left), and filmmaker Samantha Buck (right).
Passionate teacher Janet Mino and representatives from families featured in Best Kept Secret will join filmmakers Samantha Buck and Danielle DiGiacomo for a live chat with viewers on Wednesday, September 25, 2013, from 7-8:30 PM ET (4-5:30 PM PT). They will be taking your questions about students with autism “aging out” of the school system and the experience of making the documentary.
At a public school in Newark, N.J., the staff answers the phone by saying, “You’ve reached John F. Kennedy High School, Newark’s best-kept secret.” JFK provides an exceptional environment for students with special-education needs. In Best Kept Secret, Janet Mino, who has taught a class of young men for four years, is on an urgent mission. She races against the clock as graduation approaches for her severely autistic minority students. Once they graduate and leave the security of this nurturing place, their options for living independently will be few. Mino must help them find the means to support themselves before they “age out” of the system.
Ask the subjects and filmmakers questions by posting your comments below.
Here is an overview of the event:
When: Wednesday, September 25, 2013, from 7-8:30 PM ET (4-5:30 PM PT). If you can’t make it, you can send in your questions ahead of time by writing a comment below.
Who: Teacher Janet Mino, representatives from families featured in the film and filmmakers Samantha Buck and Danielle DiGiacomo will attend.
How: To join, visit the chat on the Best Kept Secret companion website or POV’s Facebook page. To view an archived transcript of the conversation, visit the Best Kept Secret companion website after September 26, 2013.
On September 23, 2013 at 10 PM, POV will present the national broadcast premiere of Best Kept Secret on PBS (Check local listings). The film will be available for streaming on the POV website from September 4 to October 7, 2013.
For updates on the 2013 season of POV, subscribe to POV’s documentary blog, like POV on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @povdocs.
