Patton Oswalt’s been tapped to host the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards to be held on March 1st on the beach in Santa Monica. The Spirit Awards are the independent film version of the Oscars, with a less formal ceremony and a much more casual atmosphere.
It was also announced by Film Independent that Diana Zahn-Storey will be returning as executive producer for the 29th annual awards show.
“Patton is an incredibly talented writer, actor, and comedian whose irreverent humor is the perfect fit for our show. We couldn’t be more thrilled that he will be hosting the 2014 Film Independent Spirit Awards,” said Zahn-Storey.
“Patton has been a long supporter of our organization, he has participated in several Film Independent Live Reads at LACMA and is also a card-holding member of the organization. I can’t wait to see what he has in store for us at the Awards show in March,” said Josh Welsh, President of Film Independent.
The awards show will be broadcast on IFC (not live) at 10:00pm ET/PT on March 1st.
Patton Oswalt Profile (Courtesy of Film Independent):
Patton continues to find success in all areas of entertainment, from his Grammy-nominated comedy specials to his many memorable guest roles on his favorite TV shows (including Parks and Recreation, for which he received a TV Critics Choice Award), in addition to the upcoming comedy The Secret Life of Walter Mitty coming out this December, with Ben Stiller, as well as his starring role on Adult Swim’s The Heart, She Holler. He is also the narrator on ABC’s breakout comedy The Goldbergs.
Last year, he was recognized for his work on the big screen, nominated for a Critics Choice Award for his brilliant performance in Jason Reitman’s film Young Adult, starring opposite Charlize Theron. In 2009, Patton received critical acclaim for his performance in Robert Siegel’s Big Fan; the film was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, and Patton earned a Gotham Award nomination for his performance.
As a comedian, Patton has shot four TV specials and four critically acclaimed albums, including his latest Finest Hour which received a Grammy nomination for “Best Comedy Album,” as well as a Showtime one-hour special of the same name. In 2009, Patton received his first Grammy nomination for his album My Weakness Is Strong which was distributed through Warner Brothers Records.
In addition to his guest roles this past year on Parks and Recreation, Justified, Two and a Half Men, Portlandia, Burn Notice, Patton also voiced characters on The Simpsons and Bob’s Burgers. He was a series regular on Showtime’s United States of Tara, appeared as a guest star on Bored To Death and Flight of the Conchords on HBO and The Sarah Silverman Program on Comedy Central. He also recurred on the SyFy series Caprica.
Patton was also a regular contributor to Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Real Time with Bill Maher and Lewis Black’s Root Of All Evil. In 2009, Patton appeared in Steven Soderbergh’s feature film The Informant, and Observe and Report with Seth Rogen.
Patton provided the voice for ‘Remy’, the rat, in Pixar’s Oscar-winning Ratatouille. He also voiced characters on Word Girl and Neighbors from Hell. Patton has also appeared in more than 20 films, including Magnolia, Starsky and Hutch and Reno 911!: Miami.
Patton starred in The Comedians of Comedy, which was shot as an independent feature film, a TV series, and a long-running tour.
He tours regularly and extensively, headlining both in the United States and UK, and is a regular at music festivals like Bumbershoot, Bonnaroo, Comic-Con, and Coachella. Patton also has a regular, bi-monthly show at the new Largo at the Coronet Theater in Los Angeles.
On TV, he played ‘Spence’ on The King of Queens on CBS for nine seasons, as well as appearing on Seinfeld, Reaper, Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show, Great Job!.
Patton’s first published book Zombie Spaceship Wasteland was released in January 2011 and is a New York Times Best Seller.
