A new Northwest Film Forum calendar means new music-oriented films. Here are a few of the highlights for March - May (because it never hurts to plan ahead).

• Illustration by Heidi Estey

Mar. 5, Mon., at 7PM
HAVE YOU EVER HAD A BEARD?
(Kathy Wolf and Pat Thomas, 2011, US, DVD, 35 mins.) Like a title weight bout, raucous music writer Chris Estey goes "toe to toe" with cagey music maverick Calvin Johnson about important subjects such as beards and other mysteries of life. Have You Ever Had a Beard? is a study in contrasts, comparing the lyric-heavy songwriting of Johnson against the ebullient music journalism of Estey. Meeting for the first time, both men perform at the Columbia City Theatre—a Seattle stage that’s hosted everyone from Bessie Smith to Jimi Hendrix since opening in 1910.

Mar. 6–8, Tues.–Thurs., at 7 and 9PM
FROM THE BACK OF THE ROOM
(Amy Oden, 2011, US, Blu-ray, 102 mins.) Deconstructing myths of the Utopian quality of alternative cultures, From the Back of the Room confronts punk patriarchy. With testimonies from Kathleen Hanna, comic-book artist Cristy Road, Slug and Lettuce zinester Chris Boarts-Larson, and Slade from Tribe 8, the film addresses issues of gender, race, class, and sexuality within DIY punk. While cataloging the lineage of the femme-punk movement, the film serves as more than a history lesson; it's the beginning of a discussion on how these issues manifest today.

Mar. 23–25, Fri.–Sun., at 7 and 9PM
GAINSBOURG, THE MAN WHO LOVED WOMEN
(Pascal Forneri, 2010, France, Blu-ray, 105 mins.) When he wasn’t chain smoking or chasing tail, Serge Gainsbourg made music. Also an actor and director, the Casanova was known for both his talent and his appetite for scandal. The French icon tells his own story in this new docudrama. Accompanied by interviews from former muses and lovers, a parallax portrait emerges.

April 13, Fri., at 10PM
MUSIC-CRAFT featuring FRANK ZAPPA, TALKING HEADS, AND THE KINKS: a 60-minute program of Frank Zappa in Stockholm in 1973, Talking Heads in Rome 1980, and the Kinks on BBC 1972 and on Rockpalast 1982.

TALKING HEADS—Rome, Italy, 1980
From the short-lived Adrian Belew era (Frank Zappa, King Crimson, David Bowie)—on backing guitar and vocals—comes this rare Italian TV broadcast. Witness the Talking Heads from one of their most definitive tours—Remain in Light. This film was recently re-broadcast on Italian TV and is likely the best unofficial Talking Heads film anywhere. Professionally filmed.

FRANK ZAPPA—August 23, 1973, Stockholm Sweden
Behold Frank Zappa and the Mothers live in Stockholm! This concert was televised as part of a series of Swedish broadcasts embarrassingly titled Oppåpoppa ("Get Up And Pop!"). The picture and sound are second-to-none. The line-up includes Frank, Jean-Luc Ponty, George Duke, Ian Underwood, Ruth Underwood, Bruce Fowler, Tom Fowler, and Ralph Humphrey.

THE KINKS—BBC Television, 1972
The ever-clever, cheeky Kinks make their debut in this classic 1972 BBC TV performance in London. A rare and intimate hour spent in the glory days! Bonus: STORYTELLERS—featuring Ray Davies. See the Kinks founder chatting up how their best songs came to be in a solo acoustic environment.

May 11, Fri., at 10PM
MUSIC-CRAFT featuring JIMI HENDRIX, FLEETWOOD MAC, AND THE POLICE: a 60-minute program of Jimi Hendrix in Germany 1967 and London 1969, Fleetwood Mac in Santa Barbara 1979, and the Police in Germany 1980.

JIMI HENDRIX—1969 Royal Albert Hall
JIMI HENDRIX live from London's Royal Albert Hall in 1969!! The FINAL "Experience" band performance featuring early Band of Gypsys material. Bonus: clips from 1967.

FLEETWOOD MAC—Rumours and Beyond
A 1976 UNRELEASED Rumours tour documentary; includes footage from Santa Barbara. Quite possibly, the finest performances from the Buckingham/Nicks era. Bonus: Additional Rumours-era live material. Pro-shot video, soundboard audio.

THE POLICE—January 11, 1980, Germany
When most people think of the Police flexing young musical muscles in their early-1980s heyday, they imagine a sound that’s rough and riotous, yet refined. These intangible trademark qualities are what made the Police legends. It is also what makes this January 1980 show unforgettable.

The Northwest Film Forum is located at 1515 12th Avenue between Pike and Pine on Capitol Hill. For more information, please call 206-829-7863 or click here.