Cinema-goers are being asked to rethink their travelling habits in a series of one-minute films.

The five shorts, which depict extraordinary journeys across Brighton and Hove, are being shown before films at the Duke of York's Picturehouse.

Characters include a leather-clad biker gang peddling around on pink tricycles, a shop worker who zooms from Hove to Kemptown at supersonic speed after drinking ten espressos and a dark-haired woman who has a surreal nightmare about her journey to work.

The films were commissioned by Brighton and Hove City Council to promote www.journeyon.co.uk - a website that compares the carbon emission, distance, price and health benefit of journeys around the city by bike, car, foot and bus.

They have also been posted on the Youtube website and were shown at Fatboy Slim's New Year's Day beach concert.

Pupils at Patcham High School made a "stop motion" animation - a technique that makes static objects appear to be moving - about a man who straps springs to his feet after watching a documentary about kangaroos.

Fourteen-year-old Bonnie Carroll narrated the cartoon, putting on an Australian accent for the role.

She said: "It is quite embarrassing to watch it because I'm talking on it.

"It was an interesting experience. I might do some more films as part of my GCSE media studies course."

Multimedia student Simon Carter, 34, was asked to make a film after impressing judges with a music promo at a Cine City competition last year.

His piece shows a small boy's journey across the city with his toys.

Simon, who lives in Dyke Road, Brighton, said: "I didn't realise it would be shown so widely but it's fantastic.

"I'm hoping to work as an animator when I finish my course and it's great to have this in my portfolio. I hope it encourages people to have a look at the website."

Matthew Hellett's film used sound effects and fast-forwarded footage of him running across the city in a caffeine-fuelled blur.

Matthew, who has mild learning disabilities, was awarded a training bursary to study film.

The 37-year-old, from Westbourne Villas, Hove, said: "I wanted to make something featuring cafes and Kemptown because I really like that area.

"It was filmed over the space of two or three weeks."

The project was overseen by Simon Wilkinson, of Brighton production company Junk TV, which specialises in youth and community video.

Simon, who is working on his first feature film, contributed a short about a trio of tough-looking bikers cruising around on matching pink tricycles decorated with unicorns and handlebar streamers.

He said: "It was great to commission local people to make these films, especially someone such as Matthew who faces barriers to making films.

"I was really impressed with the end results."