The Italian film industry has announced a second round of fund raising initiatives to help to victims oflast week’s earthquake.

The new plans come as Interior Minister Roberto Maroni raised the estimated cost of rebuilding the affected areas to $15.8bn (Euros 12bn).

The National Cinema Museum in Turin has pledged its ticket sales from April 10, and cultural association and cinema, Molisecinema, will hand over its ticket sales from April 9. The association was formed in the wake of the country’s last tragic earthquake in 2002.

Agis, Italy’s entertainment industry association, is also considering diverting money from the country’s single art fund FUS, while Iginio Straffi, the creator of popular Italian kids franchise Winx, is planning a live tour and will donate the proceeds from ticket and merchandising sales to the cause.

As reported on ScreenDaily last week, exhibitors Anec and Anem together with Anica, Italy’s motion picture organisation, plan to donate the gross box office taking from April 23. This could be up to $755,279 (Euros 570,000) according to box office takings from April last year.

Meanwhile, a number of prominent directors have already made short films about the disaster, which can be seen online, including Ferzan Ozpetek’s poignant Despite Everything It’s Easter (Nonostante Tutto E’ Pasqua) featuring twenty-two year old vocalist Alessandra Cora, who died in the earthquake, singing Down On My Knees. Michele Placido has also shot the immigrant focused The Hands Of Osmai (Le Mani Di Osmai.

The reaction from the industry was prompted by an appeal from culture minister Sandro Bondi, who asked the arts community to show their “solidarity” to those affected by the quake. He has set up a public account to collect money for rebuilding ancient monuments.

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