‘Smoke’ Signals Success

“Smoke Signals,” a movie about the Native American experience, has won the top prize at the first San Diego World Film Festival, which ended Thursday.

The jury named “Smoke Signals” the best American independent feature film in a competition that exhibited roughly 80 entries and some 300 screenings over 10 days in downtown San Diego, a festival spokesman said.

“Smoke Signals,” acquired for distribution by Miramax, also earned awards for best director (Chris Eyre), screenplay (Sherman Alexie) and actor (Adam Beach).

The award for best actress went to Sylvie Testud in “Beyond Silence,” also acquired by Miramax. A French movie, “Gadjo Dilo,” (picked up by Lion’s Gate) was named best foreign film.

“The Truman Show,” which previewed at the festival before opening nationwide last week, swept four of the five out-of-competition prizes given to major studio pictures: best film, director (Peter Weir), screenplay (Andrew Niccol) and actor (Ed Harris). The fifth, for best actress, went to Gwyneth Paltrow for “A Perfect Murder.”

The second annual San Diego festival has been scheduled for the last two weeks in April, festival director Jo Moulton said. A third is being planned for September 2000.