'Napoleon Dynamite' Festival Set

The first "Napoleon Dynamite" festival is set for June 24-25 in Preston, Idaho, the setting for the oddball indie favorite.

Among the highlights of the festival, which is planned by the local Chamber of Commerce: a tater tot-eating contest; bowling; a sweet bike contest; and a tether-ball tournament. All are homages to key scenes in the film.

The film, set in Idaho and with many locals making cameos, became a cult hit on DVD.

Yes, I am going.

I am taking Goldie, my new Saturn... two women (one, a friend from work and a friend of hers named Jen-nay)... my portable DVD player... the DVD of Napoleon Dynamite... my boondoggle keychain with "Vote for Pedro" on it... my Vote for Pedro t-shirt... and heading to Preston.

I think you would really have to grow up on this side of the world to truly appreciate all that is Napoleon Dynamite... the tots, tetherball, boondoggle, Chapstick, sweet bikes, thrift stores (also known as the DI) nunchuck skills... everything. The movie is full of the dry humor that plagues us and makes us laugh - not in the theatres, but hours afterward.

Beyond all that, it boils down to this: Hess made a movie for $200,000. It was shown at Sudnance. FoxSearchlight bought it for around $4 million. In the theatres, it grossed over $44 million and that doesn't include DVD sales or rentals.

All this from a local boy and his wife who went to BYU.

LUCKY!