Woodstock Film Festival panelists discussing the Future of Independent Filmmaking seemed to agree that the specialty divisions of the major studios are selecting many fewer films for broad theatrical release, perhaps as few as twenty per year.   For independent filmmakers, the current environment is almost like going back to 1975, before the establishment of specialty divisions, such as Fox Searchlight and Sony Classics.  But there is one notable difference between then and  now: the affordability of equipment and editing software has greatly reduced the economic barriers to aspiring filmmakers.   The recession has considerably tightened up funding sources, but for an independent filmmaker who is still able to raise $250 thousand to make a film, it would be responsible to try to raise an additional $150 thousand Prints and Advertising (P&A) funds at the onset, to increase their chances of getting the completed film into distribution, advised panelist Richard Linklater.  One encouraging development is the rise of “service distributors”,  some of whom have previously worked with the studio’s specialty divisions, and now are on their own, and able to provide expertise in independent film distirbution.  In addition to Richard Linklater, the other panelists were John Sloss, Ira Sachs and Peter Saraf, all moderated by Scott Macaulay, the editor of “Filmmaker Magazine.”