An overland trip that never was - from London to South Africa to watch the 1995 World Cup - provided the inspiration for a Victoria University student's award-winning film script, Into Africa.

Brendon Simpson, who is completing an MA in Scriptwriting at Victoria's International Institute of Modern Letters, was yesterday awarded the 2006 Embassy Trust Prize of $1,000.An overland trip that never was - from London to South Africa to watch the 1995 World Cup - provided the inspiration for a Victoria University student's award-winning film script, Into Africa.

Brendon Simpson, who is completing an MA in Scriptwriting at Victoria's International Institute of Modern Letters, was yesterday awarded the 2006 Embassy Trust Prize of $1,000."It's a trip that me and a group of friends planned, to travel through Africa to see the 1995 World Cup, but never got around to. We researched it, but it was way too dangerous. But I've always wondered what would have happened if we had done it.

"It's about how four guys, who don't actually like each other much at the beginning, are thrown together by different circumstances and how they bond through the trip. There's a little bit of adventure along the way, being chased by animals, and their interactions with the local people in the various countries."

Mr Simpson is in discussions with a producer about gaining funding to hopefully see the script produced.

Mr Simpson, who is originally from Wanganui, praised the course and course director, Ken Duncum. "The course has such a great reputation and Ken is an amazing lecturer. It's been great, especially with the nine others on the course - we get to bounce ideas off each other."

Mr Duncum says the winner of the Embassy Trust Prize was keenly anticipated each year as recognition of a high potential in an emerging scriptwriter.

"The overall quality of scripts - whether theatre or film - from within the MA course continues to improve each year, and has made the 2006 award particularly competitive. Increasing numbers of MA scriptwriting graduates are finding development opportunities for their film or theatre scripts and/or obtaining work on television series."

Mr Simpson has worked closely on the script during the year with Graeme Tetley, one of New Zealand's foremost film writers, whose work was most recently seen in Out of the Blue.

Mr Tetley says Mr Simpson's work is deeply considered in its ideas, shaping and telling. "He also has a generous humanity in his attitude towards his characters. They have humour and warmth. He enjoys their foibles and faults and best of all, in this script, there is a sense of his delight - and his characters' delight - in the surprises that life may throw up."

Embassy Trust Deputy Chairman, David Carson-Parker, says the course was fulfilling an important need in New Zealand's creative industries.

"Victoria's course is playing a significant role in the continuing development and growing maturity of scriptwriting in New Zealand, on television, in film and on the stage, which we're happy to recognise and support."