Howard holds his Master of Arts in Cinema from the University of Southern California. He was one of the top students in the cinema department, winning the coveted George Cukor Award. Howard is also a graduate of the London School of Film Technique and has a Bachelor of Arts with honors in English literature. He speaks several languages, including French.Avedis made his mark writing and directing many motion picture box office hits, including a French-style romantic thriller that received an Academy Award nomination for best theme song. Avedis is a member of the Writers Guild of America West.He and his wife, Marlene, presently divide their time between Southern California and Paris, France. Hotel Paradise is his first novel, and he is now working on his second.