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Napoleon Dynamite is a 2004 American independent coming-of-age comedy film directed by Jared Hess, written by Jared and Jerusha Hess, and produced by Jeremy Coon, Chris Wyatt, and Sean Covel. The film stars Jon Heder in the role of the titular character, a nerdy high-school student who deals with several dilemmas: befriending an immigrant who wants to be class president, awkwardly pursuing a romance with a fellow student, and living with his quirky family. The film was Hess' first full-length movie and is partially adapted from his earlier short film, Peluca (2002). Napoleon Dynamite was acquired at the Sundance Film Festival by Fox Searchlight Pictures, which partnered with Paramount Pictures and MTV Films for the release.