Local residents looking for free entertainment and a way to escape the heat this summer can consider attending a series of movie showings at Jefferson State Community College in Clanton.

Jeff State’s Sigma Kappa Delta English Honor Society will host the movie series “Bringing Literature and History to Life,” which will kick off April 11 with a showing of “The Book Thief” at the Clanton Performing Arts Center at 6:30 p.m.

The movie is based on the book titled “The Book Thief” published in 2005 by Markus Zusak. Set in Nazi Germany, the book is about a girl sent to live with a foster family during World War II and how she interacts with the world, her family and a Jewish boy the family is hiding in their home.

“This is a free event where our students, their families, their friends and anyone in the community can come to the CPAC to see a free movie in an air-conditioned—or heated, depending on the weather—and comfortable theater for free,” Clanton Campus Division Chair Ashley Kitchens said. “We will be showing movies based on literature or historical events.”

The following is the schedule for the free summer movie series:

•June 6 – “The Great Gatsby” (2013)

•June 13 – “Twelve Years a Slave” (2013)

•July 11 – “The Hobbit” (2012)

•July 25 – “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” (1999)

All movies will start at 6:30 p.m. at the CPAC in the theater.

“We hope this will be something that people in the area can enjoy if they want to get out of the heat and see some good movies,” Kitchens said.