THE deadline has now passed for the Oxford Cycling Short Film Competition.

The brief was simple – make a short film from 60 seconds to five minutes around the theme of cycling but with the proviso it will reach as many people as possible and leave them wanting to cycle in or to Oxford.

The competition has been hosted and promoted by Cyclox, the cyclists’ pressure group of Oxford, and was the brainchild of Jake Backus, an avid cyclist and Cyclox member.

To many people Cyclox represent the serious side of cycling. They campaign on our behalf to raise the profile of cycling in Oxford and ensure the council pays heed to the needs of cyclists in any infrastructure decisions.

So it is lovely to see the softer, fun side to Cyclox being promoted. The competition has definitely attracted more people to join in with this alternative style of campaigning and produced some very high quality short films.

The entries range from art house to educational, comedy and a day in the life style. They are all available to watch on YouTube and Cyclox’s website, cyclox.org/film.

And watching is part of the competition as the most YouTube hits will win second place. The first place will be determined by a panel of judges, one of whom is gold medal cycle Olympian, Chris Boardman MBE.

I am rooting for two entries which I had the pleasure of being involved with, although there have been in total an impressive 24, so the contest is tough.

The competition is at first sight a fun activity for some cyclists in Oxford, however all the films are designed to engage people and promote cycling.

Raising the profile of Oxford and cycling is a prodigious exercise. There are many advocates of cycling in Oxford that tirelessly crusade for better facilities, cycle routes and safer cycling by conventional means, but this competition is adding another way by utilising social media and the voice of everyday cyclists in Oxford. By engaging people to the cause with popular social media platforms Cyclox are extending their audience and encouraging two-way communication among the people who care about cycling in Oxford.

The momentum of cycling in the UK is picking up pace. There are no downsides to jumping on a bike and the film entries really reflect this.

The winners will be announced in February 2016. The plan is to show all the films on a big screen at a gala première in Oxford – the date and venue will be announced on the Cyclox website.

The panel of judges will be making their decisions but a YouTube hits winner could be chosen by you! So go online and vote by watching, you won’t be bored – the entries really are high-class, fun and informative.