KANSAS CITY, Mo. and SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- 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) Toronto 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.

About AMC Entertainment Inc.

AMC Entertainment Inc. is a worldwide leader in the theatrical exhibition industry. With a history of industry leadership and innovation dating back to the early 1900s, the company today serves more than 250 million guests annually through interests in 419 theatres and 5,724 screens in 12 countries including the United States. The company is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Additional information is available online at www.amctheatres.com.

About Lionsgate

Lionsgate has earned 25 Academy Award(R) nominations (and four victories) over the past seven years, more than any other independent studio. CRASH marked the Company's first Academy Award(R) for Best Motion Picture. The studio is the premier independent producer and distributor of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment and video-on-demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library is a valuable source of stable, recurring revenue and is a foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate brand name is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the globe. Additional information is available online at www.lionsgate.com.