Napoleon Dynamite is a 2004 independent film co-written and directed by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess and stars Jon Heder as the main character, Napoleon Dynamite. The film was Jared Hess’s first full-length feature and is partially adapted from his earlier short film, Peluca.
Napoleon Dynamite was filmed in and near Preston, Idaho, in the summer of 2003. It debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2004. In June 2004 it was given a limited release. Its wide release followed in August.