When Jared Hess and a few of his friends from college got together to produce the searching, compelling statement on the monotonous, faceless suburban high school experience, "Napoleon Dynamite," they really weren't sure what would come of it. Said Hess: "When we were shooting 'Dynamite,' I didn't know if the film would ever see the light of day. I was hoping that maybe we could sell it on video or to a cable channel."

But their work paid off, and now, only two years removed, Hess has completed his second effort, the considerably better-funded "Nacho Libre."

"There are obviously expectations for any filmmaker's sophomore endeavor, but I try to stay focused on making the type of movie that I want to see, and I have a lot of fun doing it."

He admitted the scale of a big-studio production did, at first, overwhelm him.

"It's been a baptism by fire for me . On 'Dynamite,' we were sleeping in neighbors' basements, and it was a small group of people that made that film. This really is just multiplied by a hundred. The scale of it took me a little while to get used to."

Yet Hess - in the tradition of filmmakers who aggressively fight to remain just that, and don't become distracted by other parts of the production process - realizes that his creative process must not change.

"Ultimately you're still making a movie and it's still a lot of fun, and I had an amazing experience."

Knowing that the Hollywood suits and big budget haven't watered down Hess's unique perspective, the casting of Jack Black into the lead role as a monk who moonlights as a luchador wrestler is further proof that Hess's flare for the odd leading man remains alive and well. He explained: "I definitely love to root for an underdog and Nacho is an underdog as well. For me, these are the types of characters that are a bit more interesting, and I'm able to relate to them a bit more. I'm drawn to those people in real life."

And in speaking of Black, Hess has nothing but the fondest memories: "It was a real dream to work with someone like Jack. He's one of the nicest human beings I've ever met, and he doesn't have an ego at all. We had such a fun time coming up with new ideas, he's just a true gentleman and one of the funniest people I've ever known. It was a true collaboration in every sense of the word."

And even in the cutthroat business of moviemaking, as he stands on the verge of a blockbuster, Hess appreciates the experience of making the film and hopes audiences will be able to get a true feel for his story.

"We were all so sad to see everyone leave. It was something really special that I don't know if I'll ever experience again . I just wanted to make another fun, cool movie that people enjoy."