Movie Buzz: See Akeelah And The Bee For Free!

We rarely get excited about things like this, but this is really cool, so we just have to spread the word. Lionsgate and AMC Entertainment are letting students and teachers see Akeelah and the Bee for free this weekend. That's right. Free. No tricks, it's just a way to reward teachers and students for their hard work. If you are a student or teacher, this is a really cool deal. Here is the official information, direct from the studio:

In an effort to reward teachers at the end of the school year for their hard work and encourage them to see the inspirational education-themed movie "Akeelah and the Bee,” AMC Entertainment and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) are taking the unprecedented step of offering every teacher in the United States one free ticket to the film Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 14, 2006. The offer is valid exclusively at all theatres in the AMC system including: Loews Theatres, Star Theatres and Magic Johnson Theatres.

"Partnering with a theatre chain the caliber of AMC gives us the ability together to bring ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ to our country's most important resource - teachers," said Tom Ortenberg, President of Lionsgate Theatrical Films. "We were in concert with AMC from the moment we joined together on this terrific idea."

"We are honored to be able to treat teachers across the country to a free showing of ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ at one of our theatres,” said Peter Brown, Chairman and CEO, AMC Entertainment. “The film underscores the tremendously positive effect that educators can have on our children, and it is our hope that this small gesture lets teachers know how much we appreciate them.”

A motivating drama, “Akeelah and the Bee” is the story of Akeelah Anderson (Keke Palmer), a precocious eleven-year-old girl from south Los Angeles with a gift for words. Despite the objections of her mother Tanya (Angela Bassett), Akeelah enters various spelling contests, for which she is tutored by the forthright Dr. Larabee (Laurence Fishburne), her principal Mr. Welch (Curtis Armstrong) and the proud residents of her neighborhood. Akeelah's aptitude earns her an opportunity to compete for a spot in the Scripps National Spelling Bee and, in turn, unites her neighborhood who witness the courage and inspiration of one amazing little girl.

A Lionsgate, 2929 Entertainment and Starbucks Entertainment production, “Akeelah and the Bee” was written and directed by Doug Atchison. The film's producers are Sid Ganis, Nancy Hult Ganis, Michael Romersa, Danny Llewelyn and Laurence Fishburne; executive producers are Todd Wagner, Mark Cuban, Marc Butan and Helen Sugland.

Teachers need to present a valid school-issued identification card or pay-stub and photo identification card at the box office in order to receive a free admission to the film. Free admission to school teachers will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.