Short answers, pulled from the story.
Bandai Namco Filmworks is a Japanese entertainment company owned by Bandai Namco Holdings, formed on the 1st of April 2022 through a restructuring of the Sunrise studio group. It focuses on the planning, production, distribution, and management of anime and live-action content, as well as character licensing. Its main divisions include Sunrise (animation production), Bandai Visual (home video), and Bandai Channel (a streaming service available only in Japan).
Bandai Namco Filmworks owns Bandai Namco Pictures, Actas, Eight Bit, and the advertising agency Sotsu. Eight Bit became a wholly owned subsidiary following an acquisition announced on the 1st of March 2024. Sunrise operates as a major internal brand within Bandai Namco Filmworks rather than as a separate subsidiary.
Sunrise was founded in September 1972 by former employees of Mushi Production and is based in Ogikubo, Tokyo. Its earlier names include Soeisha, Sunrise Studio, and Nippon Sunrise. In 1977 it gained independence from Shoeisha and Tohokushinsha, and by 1987 it had settled on the identity that remained in use for more than 35 years.
Hajime Yatate is a collective pseudonym used by Sunrise studio's in-house creative staff on original productions. Series carrying that credit include the Gundam franchise, Cowboy Bebop, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, Space Runaway Ideon, the Love Live! series, and many others across multiple genres.
Sunrise has won the Animage Anime Grand Prix more times than any other studio. Victories run from Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979 through Code Geass R2 in 2008, with wins along the way for Space Runaway Ideon, Crusher Joe, Dirty Pair, Future GPX Cyber Formula, Gundam SEED, Gundam SEED Destiny, and Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion.
Bandai Namco Filmworks America is an entity established by Bandai Namco Holdings USA, announced on the 4th of February 2025 and effective from the 1st of April 2025, to manage the company's international licensing and brand activities. Its formation was announced alongside the start of a co-financing and co-production arrangement for a Gundam film with Legendary Pictures.