From the early 1970s, Derek Jarman embarked on a series of short and long works made, primarily, on S8mm. The S8mm films were mainly seen by an audience in his studios at Shad Thames and then Butler’s Wharf (which also provided shooting space for many of the film including Death Dance. Peopled with friends and acquaintances, the films were shot and edited by Jarman. In the early 1980s, the advent of home video added another layer of possibility leading to a video/film hybrid, as per Imagining October, which came to characterize his later works such as Last of England and The Garden.
In the 70s and early 80s James Mackay was cinema programmer for the London Film-maker's Coop as well as selecting and presenting New British Avant Garde Film at the 1978 Edinburgh International Film Festival and an expanded series for the Forum of the Berlinale. In the early 80’s he curated the film and video program at the B2 Gallery.
In the 80s and early 90s he produced a number of film projects with Derek Jarman including Imagining October; Angelic Conversation; The Last of England; The Garden and Blue.
In addition to working with Jarman, Mackay also produced film projects for Ron Peck, John Maybury, Nina Danino, Hannah Collins and a number of music videos for The Smiths, Bob Geldof and the Pet Shop Boys among others.
He now mainly concentrates on curation of moving image work for galleries and festival events. From 2000 to 2018 he curated microcinema series at the Cambridge Film Festival and acts as a consultant to the Luma Foundation.