<P> We went up to Preston and shot the short film over two days in black and white . We knew that we wanted to do a feature--we'd already started writing a script for what would become Napoleon at that point--but we wanted to do a short film on the character to bring him to life . It was for a class assignment, and we were still trying to figure out the best way to end it . </P> <P> Peluca was shown at the 2003 Slamdance Film Festival and was well received . Jeremy Coon, who was the brother of a good friend of Hess's in film school, convinced Hess to drop out of school and adapt it into a feature - length film, and helped him find investors for the project . </P> <P> Hess sent the short film along with the script to a variety of different casting directors; many of whom thought the film idea was "too weird or they just didn't like the character . They were like,' The script's funny, but I think you need to recast this guy with somebody else,"' Hess explained . </P> <P> Hess describes the film as being "so autobiographical ." "I grew up in a family of six boys in Preston, Idaho and the character of Napoleon was a hybrid of all the most nerdy and awkward parts of me and my brothers growing up . Jerusha really was like Deb growing up . Her mom made her a dress when she was going to a middle school dance and she said,' I hadn't really developed yet, so my mom overcompensated and made some very large, fluffy shoulders ." Some guy dancing with her patted the sleeves and actually said,' I like your sleeves...they're real big, "' Hess said in an interview with Rolling Stone . </P>

Who plays pedro's sister in napoleon dynamite