Grass, an examination of marijuana prohibition, is the latest feature-length documentary offering from veteran director/producer Ron Mann (Twist, Comic Book Confidential) and his production/distribution company Sphinx Productions.

The $1.5-million film, currently posting in Toronto, consists mainly of stock footage but will also include animation sequences from Paul Mavrides, co-artist on The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers cult comics.

Citytv has prebought Grass and Lions Gate Films will handle the theatrical and video release. The Beastie Boys may compose the film’s soundtrack and Mann is hoping to ‘score’ a u.s. distribution deal with New Line/Fine Line.

Mann wore an executive producer’s hat on current festival favorite Brakage, the feature doc about legendary u.s. experimental filmmaker Stan Brakage. Riding high on strong screenings at Telluride, Toronto and The Hamptons film festivals, Brakage has been invited to screen at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival.

Jim Shedden, curator of contemporary art at the Art Gallery of Ontario, directed Brakage while Alex Francis-Shaw produced and edited. Budgeted at under $500,000, the film was funded through a Bravo! licence fee, the ctcpf and interim financing from the Rogers documentary fund.

u.s. distributor Zeitgeist is planning a spring art-house release while Domino will handle a theatrical release in Canada. Films Transit is inking European sales.

While Brakage was not funded by Telefilm Canada, Mann reports the agency has generously supported its run on the festival circuit – even footing the bill for a German subtitled print for Berlin.

Also significant is the fact that chum’s Bravo! has purchased video rights to Brakage and plans a sell-through promotion.

Marking the first time that Brakage has allowed his influential work to be showcased in a film, Mann says the bio-doc has shown surprisingly wide appeal. Mann reports running into director David Cronenberg and ex-Alliance honcho Robert Lantos – and both claimed Brakage as a huge influence.

Incidentally, Sphinx is developing a black comedy about an accident-prone family called Danger Lurks with Alliance Atlantis Communications. Mann will exec produce Marc Glassman’s script for director Rick Prelinger.

*Three more from Nelvana

Besides George and Martha for HBO Family, Nelvana has begun production on three other new animated series and signed a deal with Ontario’s public broadcaster tvontario.

The first Kids Can Press property to become a series since Nelvana purchased the children’s publisher in August is Elliot Moose. Licensed to tvo, with ytv taking the second window, the initial 26 half-hour episodes of the preschool show will combine live-action puppetry with animation.

Based on Canuck author Andrea Beck’s book, Elliot Moose is one of several series licensed by tvo under a new overall production and development deal. Under the deal, tvo has licensed 13 episodes of Little Bear, 52 episodes of The Magic School Bus and 13 episodes of The Secret Life of Toys. A new series, Ricky the Rhino, is in development for potential production in the 1999 season.

Redwall is a coproduction with France’s Alphanim (in for 35% of the project) about a community of mice who live in an English cathedral. Thirteen episodes are now in production and slated to premier in fall ’99. ytv is the Canadian broadcaster of Redwall, based on British author Brian Jacques’ book series which have sold over 1.6 million copies in the u.s. alone.

Thirteen episodes of Really Rosie are also in production for HBO Family.

Nelvana says it expects to deliver 200 half-hour episodes and one feature film to broadcasters in 1999.

*New prodco goes d.e.e.p

Employing the ‘virtual studio concept,’ d.e.e.p Entertainment is a new Toronto-based company with a bevy of projects in development ranging from animated and live-action television to feature films.

The fact that d.e.e.p is still waiting for that elusive first green light on any of its properties hasn’t stopped the outfit from striking a number of deals, alliances and rights acquisitions.

The company has signed an exclusive deal with comic book artist David Watkins, whose work has been seen in many North American imprints including Full Bleed Studios, Kamite Comics and Culture Comics.

Under the terms of the deal, d.e.e.p acquires exclusive rights to Watkins’ signature properties, including the Peace & Secret title, which is being developed as a feature film.

Paul Waxman, d.e.e.p president and ceo, reports that an informal first-look arrangement has been struck with Ottawa’s Funbag Animation to service d.e.e.p’s animation properties including The Lugs. Described as a tween property featuring ‘realistic kids,’ 26 episodes of The Lugs have been developed with fellow Toronto company Sellout and recently made the rounds at mipcom.

‘The goal was to create `fictality’ – a hard-edged blend of fiction, humor and reality,’ says Waxman, who previously worked in marketing at Irwin Toy. ‘We believe that kids and tweens want this – they want their reality and they want their fiction too.’

d.e.e.p is also developing NuKeD!, a primetime adult animation series about one family’s survivalist reaction to corporate downsizing, as well as Corndoggin’ 2, a partial spoof of teen exploitation flicks set against the world of snowboarding.

*Splat! again

Still with animation, Red Giant Television has signed with Discovery International and Teletoon to produce a third season of Splat!, the weekly half-hour magazine series about animation.

Seen in 120 countries, the 13 additional Splat! episodes will bring the series total to 39 half-hours. Red Giant is also creating a two-hour primetime television special celebrating animation.

*Short takes

Two short films recently began production in Toronto. Director/screenwriter Ian Thompson (The Boor) cowrote The Three Lives of Kate with Karen Hanson, who makes her directorial debut with the short focusing on a young woman dealing with obsessive compulsive disorder.

Director Hope Thompson’s (Crossing the Line, It Happened In The Stacks) latest offering Switch employs a film noir style to tell a love story – a love between two women that dare not speak its name.