If anyone is most excited about Pride’s 30th anniversary, perhaps it is the person putting the whole thing to film. Kevin Waldrop of The San Diego production company Groovy Like a Movie, has already begun working on his own tribute to Pride, a documentary film entitled 30 Years Proud. With this documentary, Waldrop aims to explore the significant changes and striking similarities in the social atmosphere over the past 30 years regarding tolerance, diversity and equality of the gay population.

“Looking ahead, knowing that the 30th was just around the corner and trying to decide what we should do about it, we really started thinking that after 30 years, there’s been a big change,” says Waldrop. “There’s been a lot of social change, policy changes, the whole gamut. And what a change in the people participating in Pride, too!”

Waldrop, who has already conducted a few interviews for the film, is still anxiously looking for participants and stories of GLBT growth and change. He will be at the San Diego Pride festival, talking to people about their memories, as well as giving them an opportunity to walk up to an open mic and tell their stories.

“One thing that’s coming out now in all the interviews is that the hot subject right now is gay marriage,” notes Waldrop. “It’s everywhere you look – in the news, in the papers, in conversations. When we ask people what they do to help further the equality today, a lot of them say that they hold hands, when they didn’t used to, just for the visibility. Many say that they are trying to keep up with the gay marriage issue, and calling or sending emails – just being part of the activism now, to help further things along. That’s really the interesting part – as much as you think that gay marriage is out there in the news, it’s still all that interviewees are talking about when we ask, ‘What’s the biggest difference?’”

Waldrop explains that, although the film is based on San Diego Pride, he plans to use San Diego as a vehicle for telling a myriad of GLBT stories. “Currently, we’re looking for a nationally recognized host, to take us from chapter to chapter. I’m keeping in mind a wide audience for the film, and I want our host to have material that will appeal to everyone,” he explains. “With the gay marriage issue, for example, we hope the film will force those for and against [the issue] to really look at it. And I want this film to make people think, ‘Wow, there has been a lot of change. But there are a lot of people who have not changed. Where do I fit into this story?’”