Vad är det för film vi ska se i kväll?

This is a very common Swedish pattern used to ask what kind of ...? or what sort of ...?

So:

• Vad är det för film ...? = What kind of movie ...?

Literally, it looks something like:

• vad = what
• är = is
• det = it/that
• för = for

But you should learn vad är det för ... as a fixed expression, because the literal word-for-word meaning is not very helpful in English.

More examples:

• Vad är det för bok? = What kind of book is it?
• Vad är det för musik? = What kind of music is it?
• Vad är det för problem? = What kind of problem is it?

In this sentence, det is part of the fixed expression vad är det för .... It does not correspond neatly to a separate English word.

English says:

• What kind of film are we going to see tonight?

Swedish says:

• Vad är det för film vi ska se i kväll?

So although det often means it or that, here it is just part of the idiomatic structure. Native speakers do not usually think of it as an extra meaningful it.

Not really. Even though för often does mean for, in vad är det för ... it is part of the idiomatic phrase meaning what kind of.

So in this sentence:

• det för film does not mean it for film

Instead, the whole chunk:

• vad är det för film
  means
• what kind of film

This is a good example of why translating each word separately can be misleading.

In English, you would often say:

• What kind of film are we going to see tonight?
• or more literally: What kind of film is it that we are going to see tonight?

In Swedish, relative words such as som are sometimes omitted when they would be required in English.

So:

• filmen som vi ska se = the film that we are going to see
• film vi ska se = film we are going to see

In your sentence, Swedish simply says:

• Vad är det för film vi ska se i kväll?

This is natural and common. You could think of it as:

• What kind of film [that] we are going to see tonight?

where English would normally need the omitted word, but Swedish does not.

This is a subordinate clause-like structure after film:

• vi ska se i kväll = we are going to see tonight

The basic order is:

• subject: vi
• verb 1: ska
• verb 2: se
• time expression: i kväll

So this part is straightforward:

• vi ska se i kväll = we will/are going to see tonight

Notice that Swedish does not move the verb before the subject here, because this is not an independent question clause. The actual question is in the first part:

• Vad är det för film ...?

Ska is the present form of skola, and in modern Swedish it very often expresses:

• future meaning
• intention
• plan
• expectation

Here:

• vi ska se = we are going to see / we will see

In this sentence, ska sounds like a planned future:

• the film we are going to see tonight

So a very natural translation is:

• What kind of film are we going to see tonight?

Not exactly. The Swedish sentence asks about the type or kind of film, not the specific title alone.

• Vad är det för film vi ska se i kväll? = What kind of film are we going to see tonight?

If you wanted to ask more directly Which film are we going to see tonight?, Swedish would more likely use:

• Vilken film ska vi se i kväll?

So compare:

• Vilken film ...? = Which film ...? / Which specific one?
• Vad är det för film ...? = What kind of film ...? / What sort of film ...?

In modern standard Swedish, i kväll is usually written as two words.

• i = in
• kväll = evening

Together:

• i kväll = tonight / this evening

You may also encounter ikväll, especially in less formal writing, and both forms are seen. But i kväll is a very standard way to write it.

They usually mean the same thing: tonight / this evening.

The main difference is mostly one of spelling style:

• i kväll = often preferred in more formal or standard writing
• ikväll = also common, especially in everyday writing

For a learner, the important thing is to recognize both.

Yes, you may hear or see vad för ... in Swedish, and it can also mean what kind of ...:

• Vad för film ska vi se i kväll?

However, vad är det för ... is extremely common and very natural. It is often the safest pattern to learn first.

So both can work, but:

• Vad är det för film vi ska se i kväll? sounds very idiomatic and standard.
• Vad för film ska vi se i kväll? is shorter and also understandable.

After vad är det för, Swedish normally uses the noun without the indefinite article.

So you say:

• Vad är det för film?
• not Vad är det för en film? in the most basic pattern

However, in actual Swedish, you can also hear:

• Vad är det för en film?

This version is also common and natural in speech. It can sound a bit more colloquial or simply more expanded.

So both exist:

• Vad är det för film?
• Vad är det för en film?

In your sentence, the shorter version is used.

It is a completely natural everyday Swedish sentence. It is neither especially formal nor especially slangy.

A native speaker could easily say this in normal conversation:

• Vad är det för film vi ska se i kväll?

It sounds like an ordinary spoken question about tonight’s plan.

The main stress would usually fall on the information words, especially:

• vad
• film
• se
• kväll

So the rhythm might feel something like:

• VAD är det för FILM vi ska SE i kväll?

If the speaker is especially curious about the type of movie, film may get extra emphasis.

Yes. A few natural alternatives are:

• Vilken sorts film ska vi se i kväll? = What kind of film are we going to see tonight?
• Vad för film ska vi se i kväll? = What kind of film are we going to see tonight?
• Vilken film ska vi se i kväll? = Which film are we going to see tonight?
  
  • This one changes the meaning a bit, because it asks for the specific film rather than the type.

The original sentence is especially useful because vad är det för ... is such a common Swedish structure.