Barangaroo Reserve has transformed into a hub for Indigenous storytelling with the launch of Stargazer Cinema, an eight-week outdoor program dedicated to showcasing Indigenous filmmaking from Australia and around the world.

The free cinema series, curated by Winda Film Festival, celebrates Indigenous creativity through a diverse lineup including 'The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson', 'Sweet As', 'The Moogai', 'Windcatcher' and The Lost Tiger.

With the Sydney Harbour as the backdrop, audiences have been gathering at Yellamundie Ngurang or "Storyteller Place" in Dhurung language to connect with stories spanning drama, horror, animation, and more.

The event began in early October, with a new film playing each Thursday until 20 November.

Founder and artistic director of Winda, Yaegl woman Pauline Clague, said the collaboration with Stargazer grew from a long-held vision to make Indigenous films more accessible.

"As a filmmaker, we don't see our films out there that much," she said.

"I was always going overseas and watching films at festivals that I hadn't seen in Australia that were Indigenous.

"Now it's time to bring it back and create a festival here that puts us up front."

Established in 2016, Winda, meaning "stars" in Yaegl language, has always sought to take storytelling outdoors with its closing nights held under the night sky.

When COVID-19 disrupted plans, the idea of an extended free outdoor series was born.

"It's hard for mob to spend a whole week going and sitting in the cinema and spending money," Ms Clague said.

"We wanted to see if we could stretch it and have it our way - a free event that ran over a couple of months."

A key focus of the festival is building a connection between audiences and filmmakers, with many directors attending screenings to introduce their work and share the stories behind their films.

"It's really important for our mob to have that connection to the filmmaker before they watch a film," Ms Clague said.

"Story often needs a backstory... we want to know those connections and why people made the stories they did."

One film that captures this spirit is 'The Lost Tiger', an animated feature centred on rediscovering cultural roots.

Ms Clague said its screening had a profound impact on young viewers.

"Watching these little kids just be happy and proud of themselves, not realising the message was about if you look after Country, Country looks after you, was so special," she said.

"It's about creating quiet places where we can come together and have the conversations we need to have."

For Ms Clague, storytelling has always been central to her life.

Her journey into filmmaking began unexpectedly after being inspired by Robert Mulligan's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' (1962).

"I thought I wanted to do law," she said.

"But it was the film, not the law, that changed me.

"Film can make the same impact, but I could reach our young people earlier and give them messages of strength before they become part of the system."

With more than 35 years in the industry, Ms Clague believes Indigenous filmmakers excel at storytelling because they layer meaning into their work much like oral traditions, art, and song.

"There are different facets that all get pulled together in film," she said.

"We know how to reach our mob and our community on different layers."

The festival also highlights how Indigenous filmmakers are exploring new genres, from cultural thrillers to romantic comedies, each infused with cultural knowledge.

"We don't write horrors, we write cultural thrillers because they carry knowledge from old stories that taught us how to look after ourselves," Ms Clague said.

Stargazer Cinema is about creating space for Indigenous voices to be seen and heard and inviting audiences to listen.

"I hope one day we don't have to constantly have these individual festivals," Ms Clague said.

"But until then, I hope people keep searching for these films, learning from them, and hearing the strength of who we are as Aboriginal people."

The next film to play will be 'Windcatcher', where a ten-year-old Aboriginal boy and his friends try to defeat bullies at a school carnival and become heroes.