We consider stationary infinite moving average processes of the form Yn=∑ciZn+i, where the sum ranges over the integers, (Z_i) is a sequence of iid random variables with ``light tails'' and (c_i) is a sequence of positive and summable coefficients. By light tails we mean that Z_0 has a bounded density f(t) behaving asymptotically like v(t)exp(−g(t)), where v(t) behaves roughly like a constant as t goes to infinity, and g(t) is strictly convex satisfying certain asymptotic regularity conditions. We show that the iid sequence associated with Y_0 is in the maximum domain of attraction of the Gumbel distribution. Under additional regular variation conditions on g, it is shown that the stationary sequence (Y_n) has the same extremal behaviour as its associated iid sequence. This generalizes results of Rootz\'en (1986, 1987), where g(t)=tp and v(t)=ctd for p > 1, positive c and a real constant d