Canon AE1's use 35mm film. You can get 35mm from any grocery store, pharmacy, camera store, etc... It is the same stuff in disposable cameras. Better stuff is to get Kodak Porta 160NC
not that i advocate illegal activies... but i'm going to.
it cost enough to develop film the way it is, so the way i see it, theres nothing at all wrong with stealing film. i usually just go to cvs, find the most expensive stuff, and snatch that.
practice getting good exposures with any print film. when you send them to the lab to get printed tell them not to correct anything so you get an idea if youre doing something wrong. once you feel confident in yourself get kodachrome k64 slide film!! it looks sooooo good.