 Miramax was founded in 1979 by brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, and was a leading independent film motion picture distribution and production company before it was acquired by The Walt Disney Company on June 30, 1993, which is the first acquisition done by the company.The Weinsteins operated Miramax with more creative and financial independence than any other division of Disney until September 30, 2005, when they left the company and founded a new studio, The Weinstein Company.Miramax was sold by Disney to Filmyard Holdings, a joint venture of Colony NorthStar, Tutor-Saliba Corporation, and Qatar Investment Authority, in 2010, ending Disney's 17-year ownership of the studio.