Oscar nominees Sharon Stone (Casino, Basic Instinct) and James Cromwell (Babe, LA Confidential) will be part of an upcoming short film in an effort to bring attention to cyber-bullying. Stone will star in the film while Cromwell will direct. The film, called The Principle, is the creation of John Viscount and is part of the ‘films for peace’ series by ONE Film Company, which is calling for one billion signatures asking for governments around the world to create Peace Departments.

In a press release Viscount said of the film, “One of the greatest ways to capture the attention and teach our world about the devastating effect of bullying is through film. One healing film that goes viral can quickly impact more hearts and minds than one million classes on the subject.”

Said to be a modern parable, The Principle deals with the “devastating plague of the digital age”, that of cyber-bullying. Statistically speaking cyber-bullying affects around half the population of young people using the internet, and this is something, as well as the consequences of such actions, the film wants to get across.

The Principle has also been adapted by Viscount into a three-act play, directed by Barry Brodie, which will first show at the Sho Art, Spirit and Performance theater in Windsor, Ontario, March 18-20.

Stone, who is also on the Board of Directors of Films for Peace, is said to spend much of her time now focused on humanitarian work. In an interview Viscount talked of Stone’s efforts to counter cyber-bullying, saying, “I am sure she will be an extremely eloquent spokesperson for raising awareness about the rapidly spreading problem.”

This will be the second film of the series, with the first, Admissions, starring James Cromwell picked up a slew of awards. Admissions reached over 80 million viewers in English, and was also translated into Arabic, Hebrew, Spanish, and Farsi. It tackled the issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and those involved on the ground.

The Principle is still seeking funding, and you can help out here.

Photo credit: Wen Tong Neo via Flickr