The pilot reported that during initial climb through about 5,000 ft mean sea level, the engine lost power. He attempted to restart the engine, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Unable to return to the departure airport, the pilot conducted a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward fuselage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed the left fuel tank contained no usable fuel, and the right fuel tank was full of fuel. After the airplane was recovered, a functional engine test run, with the right fuel tank selected, was completed with no anomalies noted. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. After the accident, the pilot stated that he should have a better understanding of engine restart procedures. The loss of engine power was attributed to fuel starvation.