Director and comic actor to take over hosting duties for the 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards.

Richard Ayoade

BIFA-winning writer, director, presenter and actor Richard Ayoade is to host the 2015 Moët British Independent Film Awards, set to take place on Dec 6 at Old Billingsgate in London.

Ayoade was nominated for two BIFAs and a BAFTA for his debut film Submarine and won the BIFA for Best Screenplay.

He starred in The Watch with Ben Stiller and Jonah Hill, and co-wrote and directed The Double, starring Jesse Eisenberg.

Ayoade won a BAFTA for playing Moss in The IT Crowd and featured in TV comedies Nathan Barley, Time Trumpet and The Mighty Boosh, as well as Garth Marenghi’s Dark Place, which he also wrote and directed.

His first book, Ayoade on Ayoade: A Cinematic Odyssey, was published by Faber & Faber in 2014.

Ayoade said: “I have come to accept that I am now contracted to host this year’s Moët British Independent Film Awards, following in the esteemed footsteps of whoever dropped out.

“I’ve been told it’s been an outstanding year for British film, but I remember people saying very similar things last year. Let’s celebrate regardless.”

Nominations were announced earlier this month.