Famed film director Pedro Almodóvar has accused Spain's rightwing People's party (PP) government of trying to carry out a rigourous campaign to finish off Spanish cinema.

In an article published on infoLibre and reported on the website of Britain's Guardian newspaper, Almodóvar said the Madrid government's policies, such as a VAT hike on ticket prices, is forcing cinema's to shut down and is resulting in the loss of hundreds of jobs.

Almodóvar in particular criticised the finance minister Cristobal Montoro on the VAT issue.

"Someone should tell this minister … that in France the VAT rate [on cinema tickets] is 7 per cent, and next year it will go down to 5 per cent, in Italy it's 10 per cent, in Germany 11 per cent, compared to 21 per cent in Spain," he said.

The film director also said that the conflict between the Spanish government and traditionally leftwing film-makers dates back to the days of the Iraq war, which members of Spanish cinema protested against.

"In 2003, Spanish cinema protested … against the war in Iraq … which earned it the hostility of successive governments of the PP. Never mind that 90 per cent of Spanish people were against the war, as demonstrated in the streets across the country," the Guardian reported Almodóvar as having said.

"As a result of our 'No War', Spanish film has become the bête noire of the PP government. The current cuts and contempt are the result of that no, which I will never regret, even if not a single cinema remains open," the Spanish director said.

Spanish cinema has been badly affected by budget cuts initiated by the state. Funding has been halved over the past four years.