The Flying Machine is a new family friendly movie starring Heather Graham that premiered at The Toronto International Film Festival last week. Part of their launch campaign was to invite bloggers to attend the premiere as well as a q&a with Heather. Sadly, because I live in Ottawa and back to school time is too crazy for me, I couldn't attend, but ShopMummy blogger Loukia did get to go, so here's a fab guest blog by Loukia about her TIFF experience.
I received an email from Erica a couple of weeks ago that got me really excited. She asked all the YMC bloggers if anyone wanted to attend the film screening of The Flying Machine at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), with the chance to meet and interview Heather Graham afterwards.
Immediately, I emailed her back and said "YES! ME! I WILL GO!" and so, I went, I saw, and I interviewed Heather Graham.
And? It was just as amazing as I thought it would be. It was well worth my 10 hour drive to and from Toronto in one day.
The Flying Machine is a very artistic 3-D live action animated film that stars Heather Graham (yes, Roller Girl!) and famed pianist Lang Lang, playing the classical music of Chopin. Heather Graham plays Georgie in the movie, a busy, overworked mom who can't seem to put down her Blackberry, even during a piano concert she took her two children to.
Then, the music starts... Chopin takes us away and we're thrown into the animated story, about an 11-year old girl Anna, who lives with her father in Poland. His toy store is closed down, and she has to move in with her aunt and little cousin. She misses her father terribly, and one day, she decides to run away. She sits down on a pile of 'junk'. This junk happens to be an old piano, and her cousin manages to get on board before it takes off and becomes... The Flying Machine! They fly over Warsaw and she realizes she can find her father again. This was my favourite part of the movie, because the music is really moving and really does take you on a magical journey.
After the animated short, we're taken back to the concert as it's ending. The children are clapping and of course their mom is still on her Blackberry. Her children go up to meet Lang Lang and once Georgie realizes they're gone, she goes looking for them. The children have left on a ride on The Flying Machine. She goes after them, into this fantasy world, with Lang Lang, where she makes some important life discoveries, like what's truly important to her and why she works so hard - to provide her children everything she wasn't able to have when she was younger.
"Home is the big theme of our film," says Hugh Welchman, Producer of The Flying Machine. Heather agreed to do the movie because she "loved the story" and loved the animation. It also gave her an appreciation of classical music and because of the movie, she became a fan of Chopin - his music really does take you away.
After the movie, we attended a private press conference at the Hyatt - just a handful of bloggers and myself - and Heather Graham. She walks in, and we started asking her questions. We all got the chance to take a picture with her, too. She was very nice to everyone, and looked fantastic.
I think The Flying Machine was a very cool movie, especially if you (or your children) are interested in music. It's a great movie to watch to gain some appreciation for classical music.
Next year? I'm going to TIFF for more than one day - it was such an incredible experience, and one day was simply not enough!
I'm also giving away a DVD of The Flying Machine!
To enter leave a comment below telling me how you help your children appreciate music.
Yummy Rules and Regs: You must be a Yummy Mummy Club member to win. Click to sign up! It's free and filled with perks. One comment per member. Entries accepted until September 22, 2011. Contest open to Canadian residents. Winners will be picked using www.random.org.
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The other day I was listening to local radio station Hot 89.9 and heard a contest promo about how you can ‘Win a Baby’. Now this is the radio station geared towards the younger crowd in the city so I thought that it was some kind of clever teaser for something obscure, although I had no idea what that would be. But then I saw billboards and heard more talk on the radio and as it turns out – it’s a real ‘Win a Baby’ contest.
Well, kind of. Hot 89.9 is holding a contest where one lucky couple or person who has experienced infertility can win up to 3 fertility treatments. While ‘Win Fertility Treatments’ might not sound as scandalous as ‘Win A Baby’ it might sound a little more ethical. When I first heard about the contest I didn’t know what I thought of it, and to tell the truth I still don’t.
I went on to the website and read the fine print and saw that the winner will receive up to 3 fertility treatments to help them conceive a baby, valued at up to $35,000! When you look at it that way, this is a great contest to help someone realize their dreams of becoming a parent because obviously the cost of fertility treatments is ridiculous and so many people can’t even consider treatment due to the cost, so awesome that they might be able to win it.
But then I read on and saw that after the station chooses their top 5 finalists the public gets a chance to vote for their favourite. Here’s where I struggle – letting strangers vote on who should get fertility treatments just seems a bit – low classy to me. I mean, if someone is entering a radio contest to win fertility treatments these people desperately want a baby. Desperately. Imagine then putting yourself out there for the entire city to judge whether you are more worth of a baby than the other 4 finalists. I don’t know – I just don’t think something like this should become a popularity contest. And I do understand that the vote doesn’t decide the winner and that the ultimate decision is up to the voting panel, I just find it in poor taste.
So I still don’t know what I really think of this contest. I think good for Hot 89.9 for coming up with a contest that has caused so much attention because let’s face it – this is an advertisers dream! Good for them for giving a lucky couple the ‘chance’ at having a baby. I guess I wonder though what will happen if the winning couple isn’t successful with their fertility treatments? What if there is no baby in the end after all? Because anyone who has done fertility treatments will tell you that is a very real possibility.
What are your thoughts on the 'Win a Baby' contest?
Scene and Heard
Confessions of a Pop Culture Mummy
It's hard to believe that another Labour Day long weekend has come and gone and the kids have gone back, or getting ready to go back to school. Of course most kids, when they return to the classroom and school yard, are going to be inundated with the age old question ‘How did you spend your summer vacation?’ and they will tell their teachers and classmates all about their camping trips, sporting teams, various road trips and time with friends. So why should the kids get all the fun?!
This year, I had one heck of a summer vacation myself. First, I got to meet and interview Rosey Edeh from Entertainment Tonight when she came to Ottawa to cover Prince William and Kate’s Royal Wedding Tour. I realized through twitter that she was in town and frantically began dm’ing her in hopes of meeting up with her, which I did! She was so amazing.
Then I got the opportunity to sit in the host chair for our local Rogers Daytime Ottawa show. The regular host was off on holidays so I got the chance to sit in and experience my very first time co-hosting a television show. Needless to say, I was hooked and can’t wait to do it again (September 14th in case you were wondering).
Next up I got to host my very first Facebook Party with The Children’s Place. When the popular kids store hit 1 million fans they threw a massive Facebook party that was hosted by 5 bloggers and 3 celebrity moms. I was the only Canadian blogger invited to sit on the panel and it was a ridiculously successful social media party that got thousands of hits a minute! A minute! So honoured to be asked to be a part of it.
I met Jordan Knight when my girlfriends and I excitedly attended the NKOTBSB concert at Scotiabank Place. Best concert I have ever been to. And getting to meet and chat with Jordan was definitely the icing on the cake!
Celebrity moms are always fun to talk to, and this summer I was lucky enough to speak to two of them. Jessica Alba did a conference call with bloggers as part of her publicity tour for her movie Spy Kids 4 and once again, I was lucky enough to be asked to be on the call. Then I flew to Toronto to meet Donna Martin herself, Tori Spelling, at an event to launch McCain Ultra Thin Crust Pizza. It was kind of cool to be in the same room as someone who starred on the very show that started my celebrity obsession.
Summer also saw me take on my 14 day running challenge, and also saw many of you do it too. All of you were so supportive and made sure I never once skipped a day of running over those 2 weeks. And I loved how many of you started your own challenges too. You all inspired me with this challenge and I love watching you doing your own and am so thankful that you keep me up to date on twitter.
And then of course, becoming one of the Top 10 candidates for Daytime Ottawa’s search for a new co-host. I get to sit in the co-host chair again on September 14th and I’m really hoping you’ll watch (I’ll post clips online) and then vote for me starting September 17th.
To round out the summer I have been asked to help host a #MILFF (Mom’s I Like To Follow Friday – get your mind out of the gutter:)) twitter party. It will take place on Friday, September 9th at 9pm est so make sure you join us for some fabulous fun and prizes. As you can see I’ve had a simply fantastic summer vacation. How about you? What did you do?
Scene and Heard
Confessions of a Pop Culture Mummy
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