Stuck in a town (Athens, GA) they don't want to be living in, Dominican immigrant Dr. Jharrel Bueno and first-gen townee April Tejada agree to be each other's new single best friends.
Out of the 800k doctors in the U.S., 200k are foreign doctors. The Dominican Republic is the THIRD in the list of countries whose doctors immigrate to the U.S.
JHARREL dreamed of living in the big city but ended in a liberal town instead.
the story.
DR. Bueno wanted much more.
Having completed his residency in internal medicine at one of Manhattan's top hospitals, Dr. Jharrel Bueno (Afro Dominican immigrant, mid-30s) looked forward to a six-figure salary and a bougie NYC life. But Jharrel's American dream took a u-turn upon graduation when his only job offer was a position at Athens Regional Hospital, located in the quirky neighborhood of Normaltown in Athens, GA. Unlike his close Dominican friends and colleagues who moved to Athens from New York before him, Jharrel, single, finds it hard to adapt to southern town life and has begun to hate the place he now has to call home.
So when Jharrel sneaks out of a local hockey game and takes a stroll down the Georgia railroad tracks, he runs into April Tejada (first-gen, early 30s).
April was never supposed to stay in Athens after her graduation three years ago, when he mother had a stroke and was admitted to Athens Regional Hospital comatose. April has taken care of her ever since and continued to rent her rundown barn house with her best mates, becoming a full-on townie, or so she thinks. When her best friend Aida (African-American, concert light engineer, says it as it is) announces she’s leaving town for a less segregated metropolis, April doubts about her own belonging in the city. Jharrel and April hit conversation, and haters in crime, agree to become new best friends. No benefits.
To the surprise of everyone, soon April and Jharrel start sharing outfit pictures and facetime at work, even curating each other's Insta grids. Their TikToks show them make each other laugh until they cry. Not long after, they become each other's perfect wing person. When April's mother stops responding to life support, the two embark on a field trip to April's hometown of Thomson to have her aunt release April's mother from medical care so that she can rest in peace. On their way back, Jharrel is real and honest with April about his true feelings for her.
BUT it will take April some time to heal before she can realize that she feels the same way.
With the help of both of their friends, Jharrel will try anything to get April back. But it is only after leaving town that April will discover that she’s also in love with Jharell. At the end, Jharrel and April find what they need in each other.
the project.
Normaltown is a romantic comedy set in the U.S. South, blending tenderness with bittersweet humor. Our characters will make us laugh about everyday life, about the intimate occurrences of close friendships, and the emotions and misunderstandings inherent to interracial relationships, Spanglish puns included. Think stories like The Big Sick meets Plus One with a hint of Nebraska set in the Latinx deep liberal and rural south.
The film follows a romantic arc through the lens of a hospitalist’s alternating "week on / week off" schedule, grounding the story in the rhythms of hospital life. Each act aligns with one of these weeks—the intensity and restraint of a week on call, shifting into the emotional openness of a week off, and culminating in a final return to the hospital as both characters confront what they truly want. This format not only structures the relationship’s progression but mirrors the push and pull between duty and desire, control and vulnerability becoming a metaphors for how time warps when something real begins.
As the couple’s relationship deepens, the cinematography evolves with them—shifting from the cold, clinical glow of Athens’ neon-lit spaces to warmer, more intimate Southern landscapes. This visual journey through Georgia mirrors their emotional arc, transforming a once-disliked place into something luminous, just as they begin to see each other—and themselves—with new clarity.
MADE BY AN AWARD-WINNING TEAM OF BIPOC, NORMALTOWN WILL HOOK AN AUDIENCE INTERESTED IN LISTENING TO FUN MEANINGFUL STORIES THAT BREAK STEREOTYPES.
the characters.
Jharrel Bueno
is an overachiever, the first in his family to go to college, become a doctor, and migrate to the U.S. He loves helping others. Every year in residency, he won the best rapport with patients. Jharrel loves being among his friends, but after a few heartbreaking romantic relationships and moving to this new town, Dr. Bueno finds himself as lonely as he has been in years. He is now the single one among married or settled friends, and he is ok with that, but he needs some companionship. Suggested cast: Jharrel Jerome.
April Tejada
was born in Thomson, GA. She was part of a small Latino community; her nickname was "blanquita" because she was the fairest of the family. Throughout middle and high school, April passed and found herself losing her identity more and more. By the time she was in college, she had an identity crisis. Her mother's accident made her life perspective change. April is selfless and kind, but life has made her careful who she lets her guard down with. Suggested cast: Diane Guerrero, Alycia Pascual-Peña
Frank Espaillat
wanted to be a baseball player, but he became a successful doctor. Once he moved to the U.S., he learned to switch, but he went too far; he is one person at the hospital and another outside. He loves Paola, and he will do anything for her. Suggested cast: The Kid Mero.
Paola Rodríguez
is a pediatrician in a low-income part of town, and she loves being a doctor. Paola is like a mother to the group of Dominicans; she cooks for them, is there for them emotionally, and will take care of minor everyday stuff. Paola is driven, but doesn’t let that affect how she treats others. She loves Jharrel like a brother, and Jharrel sometimes depends on her too much, which makes Frank jealous. Suggested cast: Dascha Polanco.
Roman Nuñez
has wanted to be a doctor since he can remember. He also knew that he needed to migrate to be free and open about his sexuality. Roman is a romantic; he finds the good in everything and will help Jharrel understand his feelings for April. Suggested cast: Marcelo Hernández.
Aida Rogers
fell in love with concert lightning when she saw RUSH with her father at the age of 7. She started working at a local concert hall in Athens but now she’s ready for a bigger venue and a more diverse crowd in Atlanta. She is tough, direct but a softy in the bottom. Aida, Karmen, and Zac make up April’s family in Athens. Suggested cast: Ariana Debose.
Karmen Smith
was the only Asian-American in his hometown in rural Georgia. Once he moved to Athens, he started working at the local newspaper, where he’s the town’s music critic. Witty, dry, and extremely mellow he helps April see the best side of things. Suggested cast: Jimmy O. Yang.
Zac Crook
is an aspiring musician with a minor hit in Germany. Music is everything to her, but she has to make a living, so she works as a barista. She’s disciplined, and even though she’s an artist, she’s very pragmatic, especially when it comes to relationships. She helps keep April grounded. Suggested cast: Sarah Sherman.
The Team
Wendy Muñiz.
Producer - Writer
Creative producer, scriptwriter, visual artist, and educator. A Dominican immigrant and first-generation student, she obtained a PhD in Latin American Cultures from Columbia University and is the cofounder of Zero Chill. Her work as a director, producer, and screenwriter has received the support of Ibermedia, DGCine (Dominican Republic), CNCINE (Ecuador), IMCINE (Mexico), and the Tribeca Film Institute, traveling worldwide from Cannes, BAFICI, Dok Leipzig, and Montréal World Cinema to Kolkata IFF, Sao Paulo, and Zlín. She is a graduate of the EAVE Producers Workshop and an Andrew W. Mellon and Woodrow Wilson Citizens and Scholars fellowship alumni for her work as a Latinx researcher and educator. Her latest fiction series MICHELLE REYES IS NOT OKAY was picked up by Amazon/Audible.
Guillermo Zouain. Producer - Writer
A Dominican-American producer, director, and editor. He received an MFA in film directing from the ESCAC and is cofounder at Zero Chill. His films have traveled worldwide through sales agents like M-Appeal and distributors that include Amazon. He also enjoys working as a creative producer for emerging Caribbean indie music bands. His latest fiction series MICHELLE REYES IS NOT OKAY was picked up by Amazon/Audible.
