Buena Vista International

Credits

Descriptions by
DreamMechanic and TheLogoFan2004

Captures by
Wisp2007, snelfu, Supermarty-o

Editions by
Michael Kenchington, LMgamer36, and HolbyCity2023

Video captures courtesy of
Logo Archive, FinnTapes, The DMB Network, Mr. Gann, Logo Archive Premiere and BrazilianFilmComedian

Background

Buena Vista International was the international distribution sub-arm of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. Despite holding an international distribution arm, Disney released their films overseas through third-party distributors, including U.K. Film Distributors Ltd. (under Walt Disney Productions UK) in the United Kingdom.

In the mid-80s, Disney signed a distribution deal with Warner Bros. to release its films theatrically in some overseas territories such as the U.K. and Ireland, Europe (except in Poland and Hungary where local distributors Filmoteka Nardowa and Intercom Zrt. previously handled theatrical distribution respectively), Latin America (except Mexico) and in some countries in Asia such as South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines where it did not have any current distribution arrangements with other companies. Meanwhile, Roadshow Films took over theatrical distribution of Disney films in Australia and New Zealand on the same period, which also released Warner films as well in the aforementioned countries.

In 1992, Disney opted to end the joint venture with Warner and reactivated the Buena Vista International name to handle operations in countries that did not have any ongoing distribution arrangements.

When the Buena Vista name was phased out in favor for the Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures branding around 2007, international distribution in most countries went through the Disney branding and its subsidiaries (Miramax, Touchstone, etc). However, like United International Pictures, Buena Vista International is still active as in-name-only in some developing countries such as Latin America, and parts of South Africa. The label is also used as an international distributor of films made by independent studios and a distributor of films made in foreign countries. It remains the only active unit of The Walt Disney Company to still retain the Buena Vista brand name (although Buena Vista Home Entertainment is still used as a legal disclaimer on Disney/20th Century/Searchlight/Marvel/Lucasfilm releases in the United States only [except in the UK which it reads "Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (UK & Ireland)" instead] and as an in-name-only label for non-Disney distributed movies on home media, like Glass).

As of 2020, it also acts as an international distributor for titles released by 20th Century Fox/Studios and Searchlight Pictures outside North America when Searchlight operates its autonomous distribution unit in the US. Distribution in India however, is handled by UTV Motion Pictures (for Disney/Pixar/Marvel/Lucasfilm titles) and Star Studios (for 20th Century/Searchlight titles), respectively. Outside of countries where Disney doesn't have a local distribution branch, Disney also has arrangements with Forum Film in Israel, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania, Cinecolor in Chile, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela, UIP in Turkey, Italia Film in the Middle East, Blitz in Croatia and Slovenia, MegaCom Film in Serbia among others.

As of 2021, the brand is also used for Spanish, Latin American, and Brazilian films that are would've or not planned for a Disney+ release in global markets, beginning with Just Short of Perfect (2021). In 2022, the Latin American and Brazillian divisions of Buena Vista International were renamed as Star Distribution.

1st Logo (1961-1983)

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Logo: Same as the standard Buena Vista Film Distribution logo from 1953-1984, only "INTERNATIONAL, INC." replaces "DISTRIBUTION CO., INC.".

Variants: See Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

Technique: None.

Music/Sounds: See Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

Availability: Extremely rare, although it lived for 22 years.

• Was seen on international theatrical prints of Walt Disney productions from the era, but most current prints use domestic versions which means the standard U.S. logo is seen instead.
• May be found of old 16mm or 8mm home copies of various films, or on early PAL VHS releases such as Return To Witch Mountain and The Moon-Spinners.

2nd Logo (1993-December 22, 2021)

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Logo: On a black background, a white line draws with the left & right drawing at the same time and then stops. The shiny grey text "BUENA VISTA" slides up the top half and "INTERNATIONAL" slides down the bottom half.

Variants:

• A still variation exists. This was seen on the 2007 Mexican film Ladies' Night.
• On Turma da Mônica: Uma Aventura no Tempo, the logo cuts in once the line is already formed and as soon as the text slides up and down.
• On a French trailer for March of the Penguins and as a print logo the font is different.
• A gold version of the logo has been spotted in the 2005 Brazilian film O Casamento de Romeu e Julieta, though that may possibly be due to deterioration on the scanned print of the logo, since the film was edited digitally.
• A Spanish variant exists where a byline saying "T.W.D.C.I.S.L." (Which stands for "The Walt Disney Company Ibérica S.L.") can be seen in white on the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Technique: 2D computer animation.

Music/Sounds: Usually silent, or the opening/closing theme of film.

Availability: Rare in the US, but common elsewhere, since it lived for 28 years.

• It was normally seen on international theatrical prints and trailers of Buena Vista/Disney films (before the main logos), as well as non-Disney productions they distributed such as Dragonfly, Abandon, Bruce Almighty, Seabiscuit, Air Force One, Starship Troopers, Bringing Out the Dead, Snake Eyes, Face/Off, Cinderella Man, It Runs in the Family, Kiss of the Dragon, and the French version of March of the Penguins, among others; sometimes additionally containing Touchstone Pictures or Miramax Films (or other Disney sub-labels) logos at the front (though this was far from a universal rule), and some European DVDs contain the home video variants on their covers, if not the logos themselves.
• A good amount of international home video/TV prints use U.S. domestic versions converted to PAL formats, as a result this is no longer usually seen at the front. However, some versions use prints that had mandatory edits by the countries rating council for distribution, with an example being UK prints of Face/Off. This can be still be seen on international Blu-rays of Air Force One, Face/Off, and Starship Troopers. This also makes appearances on streaming prints of the 2009 Australian film Subdivision, the English dubbed version of Die Wilden Kerle 2 (retitled as The Wild Soccer Bunch on the U.S. DVD release), the Maverick Latino DVD of Tangos Are For Two, most copies and digital prints of Tuvalu, and the Mexican Distrimax DVD of Ladies' Night. This logo also makes a very strange appearance (before the Miramax International and MGM logos) on a Brazilian Blu-ray print of The Brothers Grimm.
• Was also seen on some French YouTube trailers for 2008-2009 Disney distributed films such as Ponyo.
• Some international theatrical prints (pre-2020) of Die Hard With a Vengeance were believed to contain this or the 1985 Touchstone Pictures logo in lieu of the 1994 20th Century Fox logo (the film was a co-production with Cinergi, which sold some international theatrical rights to Disney/Buena Vista, coincidentally predating their eventual purchase of Fox in 2019). Almost all international TV, video, and streaming releases start with the Cinergi logo.
• As of 2021 when the film (alongside the entire Die Hard saga) came to Disney+ under the STAR name in some international territories, the film uses the Fox-distributed domestic prints.
• Domestic appearances are extremely rare (likely to be accidental inclusions), but it still makes a surprise appearance on U.S. prints of It Runs in the Family after the 2001 MGM logo.
• The logo was also seen on overseas theatrical prints of The Spectacular Now. though all the PAL DVDs and digital copies just have the A24 Films logo.
• It was also seen on 2018 UK theatrical and DVD prints of the British movie Patrick (however it is not present on streaming prints until a later date).
• It was also used as a de-facto home video logo on the UK DVD, Blu-ray, and 4k releases of Glass, while the movie itself used the next logo.
• It can also be seen on German theatrical prints of movies from Universum Film.
• It was also seen at the end of overseas theatrical prints of certain 20th Century Fox/Studios films (such as Terminator: Dark Fate, The King's Man, Spies in Disguise, and Underwater). It did not appear on home video releases.
• It also made an appearance on the French PAL DVD of Mission to Mars, after the Pathé logo and before the Touchstone Pictures and the Spyglass Entertainment logos.

3rd Logo (2018-, 2018-2022 in LATAM)

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Logo: Same as before, but the logo is has a blue tint, in CGI and looks brighter. A light shine appears in the middle of the line.

Technique: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: Same as the previous logo.

Availability: Current and very common.

• First seen on the international trailer of Glass and eventually appeared on the movie itself, preceding the 2012 Universal Pictures logo.
• As of 2020, the logo also appears at the end of international prints of all titles from 20th Century Fox/Studios and Searchlight Pictures such as The Call of the Wild, The New Mutants, The Empty Man, Nomadland, Free Guy, Vacation Friends, The Last Duel, Ron's Gone Wrong, The French Dispatch, Antlers, West Side Story (2021), Death on the Nile (2022), Fresh, The Bob's Burgers Movie, and Fire Island, among others (only on theatrical releases though due to the fact that it did not appear on home video releases of the latter films).
• It has also been spotted on two Brazilian movies, Vale Night and Alemão 2.