GIVEAWAY: Heather Graham & The Flying Machine come to TIFF

Gorgeouses, the  Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is here! I'm running off to the press junket with my little Kindergartener in tow (he starts JK tomorrow) this afternoon. So I'm pumped! (Can you tell?) I'm also pumped because I had the privilege of watching a much buzzed-about film at this year's TIFF last night with my kids: The Flying Machine.

I have to tell you, writing about this film gives me goosebumps and a fuzzy feeling in my belly because it's quite genius, Gorgeouses. And when genius stuff gets made for kids, I get a little beyond excited. I even took to Twitter as I was watching the film to comment on how intelligent and educational and artsy this movie is, how fabulous Heather Graham looks at 41, and how much my kids enjoyed it.



One of the reasons I personally loved the movie is because it's a celebration of various art forms: the visual arts (sculpture, animation), the performing arts (Heather Graham dances!), and of course music -- the music of Chopin played by the awesome Lang Lang, who also has a starring role in the film.



It's difficult to describe the film's plot because it's broken up into fragments, or Chopin Études..., and because, frankly, I'm still registering it. But in a nutshell, it's about the day a BlackBerry-addicted-workaholic mom (Heather Graham) "changes" when she and the kids go to a Chopin concert, starring Lang Lang, which is accompanied by a 3D animated film that we and the characters watch. Music, we learn, can take you away. And it can bring you home.

It's a movie that you can't take your eyes off of for a moment, not even to check your BlackBerry (or tweet...), or you'll miss something. There's even a long period in the movie in which there's no talking at all -- just Chopin and animation -- which makes it feel a little like you're at the ballet and, thus, challenges your kids to use their imagination and figure it out for themselves.



Unfortunately, I don't have a 3D TV, so I'm not going to get to see the full 3D effect until Sunday, when my 6-year-old daughter and I go to the TIFF premiere and meet the beautiful Heather Graham herself. And you can bet I'm going to ask her how she stays so young-looking, among other things.

The film is aimed at ages 8-12, but my daughter is a little artiste and can't wait to see it AGAIN. Her almost-4-year-old bro is going to be jealous. much. He loved it too....

So let's usher TIFF in with our own GIVEAWAY! One lucky GORGEOUS is going to get a copy of the screener DVD of The Flying Machine -- which, trust me, will make a brilliant edition to your movie library. For a chance to receive it, please tell me: What would you like me to ask Heather Graham?

*Comments for the giveaway will close at 11:59 pm ET, Sunday, September 11, 2011.

Love!

xo Haley-O