FIRST OFF . . .

The 1989 Cannes Film Festival will have a star-studded, big name opening and closing, but otherwise the emphasis will be on new talent, festival organizers said Wednesday. The festival will open May 11 with the Woody Allen-Francis Ford Coppola-Martin Scorsese film, “New York Stories,” but only new talent will be considered for the “Golden Palm” best-film award. Festival President Gilles Jacob told a news conference that the selection committee has actively sought new talent rather than “heading for Hollywood as we might have done in the past. We are determined to keep putting a new generation of film makers in orbit.” However, he said, the Cannes tradition of playing hosts to the world’s biggest film names would be respected while new talent was being encouraged in the competition. The closing attraction will be the world premiere of “Old Gringo,” starring Gregory Peck and Jane Fonda. Jacob said no overall theme ran through the competition, but mysticism, sentimentality and historic themes dominated. The United States and Italy have four entries in competition, and France has three. The Soviet Union and China are both absent from this year’s competition.